Tales of CmC: The Crimson Campaign Collaborative
by Igrayne01
Summary: Written as a collaborative project for the CmC guild on Star Wars Galaxies. Young Neelaah Odo and Rango'Tan team up with a host of other characters to do what they do best: bounty hunting.
1. Chapter 1: Neelaah's Journal

Neelaah's Diary: Tatooine

I had been wandering the Dune Sea for days; the only taste in my mouth was the dry, arid taste of sweat and sand. My thoughts dizzied by the heat of the midday sun, I ambled along until the weight of the sand beneath my feet became more than I could bear.

The only people I had come upon were the nomadic Jawas, who traveled from place to place peddling their wares. They looked at me with putrid satisfaction; what was a day in the desert, or a week? They knew, as well as I, that I did not stand a chance out there. Already I was losing track of time.

I had been on a mission, my very first: a bounty of two thousand credits, tracking the hide of some rebel scum. When at last I found him we stood, alone, facing each other; he very nearly escaping death. Perhaps he would have if I hadn't trained my lasers on him and dealt a final shot. He fell, but not before he caught me a wound at the base of my shoulder blade, a scalding pain that had soon begun to fester and smell.

Delirious, my mind spinning a thousand thoughts, I continued on my journey. I had come too far to turn back now. I happened upon an abandoned campsite set upon a hill; it was open to any lone traveler who might be passing by, not hidden. There was no one around, not for miles, I knew, so I found this very curious. I sat down and warmed myself by the fire, preparing for a restful sleep, payment in kind for the sleepless nights I had suffered those few long weeks.

Just as I was lying down to sleep, an eerie whistling echoed through the ravine. I tried to trace it to its source, but couldn't. Instead, I scrambled behind a rock and waited for the whistler to emerge. If a skirmish were to ensue, I'd much rather have preferred to have the upper hand.

I stepped from behind my hiding place, blaster trained at my side where the stranger could not see. I noted, with incredulity, that he had a kind smile, and steely gray eyes the color of a rainstorm. He wore his sleek black hair in a neat braid plaited behind his shoulders. He had on armor as well, a protective casing bearing blaster-markings. He had been in a fight, and from the look of it, was no worse for wear.

Faster than a standard time unit, he had equipped his blaster and pointed it at me.

"What are you doing here?" The tone was not accusatory, but rather one of incredulity. He seemed genuinely bemused that I stood before him in the condition I was. I suddenly, painfully, became aware of how I must look to him: dirty, bloody, clothes torn and unraveling at the seams. I looked and smelled rank with death. A hot flush crept across my cheeks. I straightened my shoulders, and smoothed down the rumples in my clothes, but it did not improve the matter.

"I was wandering across…I got lost, and saw your campsite and came over to warm myself by the fire."

He seemed guarded, and dangerous.

"I wasn't going to steal anything. You needn't worry," I explained. His eyes then suddenly landed upon my festering wound, and he beckoned me closer.

"Come, sit here. Let me have a look." I took the seat next to him and suffered a treatment of bacta patches which he applied expertly; I wasn't so foolish as to let a festering wound go untended.

"Who are you?" I asked him, amazed by his simple skill as a medic.

"Rango'tan," he replied.

"I'm Neelaah. Thanks for the heal, but I really should be going. I don't want to infringe on your time anymore."

"Well, not before you eat something."

"All right," I added, with as much strength as I could muster. He was right, as much as I hated to admit it. My frame was looking startlingly thin, frail from the time spent gallivanting around a good portion of Mos Eisley and the Dune Sea. The rebel had led me on a wild goose chase; a chase which had surmounted in his death and my wounding. He had made me look an incompetent fool. But I wouldn't let that slow me down. I was hungry for more, for the thrill of the chase and the kill.

"What're you doing out here?" he began to question me as I scarfed down the delicious food. He even had a keg of jawa juice to wash it down, a minor luxury in these dark times. A million different tastes washed into my senses, as I answered him hurriedly.

"Tracking a bounty."

"Me too." He sat with his rifle balanced carefully across his knees, comfortable, but accessible, in case I proved to be more trouble than I was worth. As I spoke, he noted the path of my directed gaze and chuckled.

"You're not going to shoot me, are you?" I asked, which was probably a stupid thing to do.

"Not unless you give me trouble." Right then and there, I decided I would be on my best behavior. It was better to have a friend in the Dune Sea than an enemy, what with the harsh climate always working against me. Perhaps this Rango'tan would be a person worth knowing after all.


	2. Chapter 2: Diary of Rango

Diary of Rango - Entry 1

An odd roll of the dice:

The transport was hot and cramped; beings of a dozen species packed into every nook and cranny. I grimaced at the sudden assault on my nostrils as a black-haired Wookiee brushed past my shoulder, silently wishing that I had worn a helmet for this hunt. However, I had decided when taking this bounty that I would change my garb; sometimes it is necessary to appear as someone other than one's self. My reputation had been growing here on Tatooine and I had no intentions of being notice by my target.

I donned the cloak and rough clothing of one of the many traders that frequented Tatooine; an appearance that was not intimidating, but not so much that I would be considered an easy victim for some of the gangs that patrolled around the outskirts of the cities.

I casually gazed around at the beings around me, making mental notes of the positions, distances, and statures of those around me who would be my most immediate threat. Slipping my right hand beneath the opening at the front of my cloak, I discretely began to unfasten the weapon I had cached there from it's harness. It was an older EE3 carbine that I had customized to my own specifications; a stock was added to it to provide more stability and accuracy if I was firing on the move, and a few inches of the barrel was sawed-off to allow for quicker draws when they were needed.

My thoughts drifted to the day before when I had been tracking a target in the Dune Sea. The merchandice was the leader of a minor thug gang leader, however, Jabba had put a large enough price on his head to catch my interest. I did not give my mark a chance to put up a fight; I took him out with a single laser bolt to the head at a safe distance away. In this case, the dead one was worth more than the live one.

Shortly after I commed Jabba's Majordomo with the proof-of-death that was requested in the parameters of the mission, I setup a small camp at the top of ravine and decided that I would stay there in case any other members of the gang showed up. Fate, it would seem, would bring me something entirely unexpected. I left the camp to search the area to see if there were any hidden bunkers; denizens of my trade often kept stockpiles of supplies hidden in the wilderness just in case. My search continued for nearly an hour, and as I crept through cracks in the ground I began to whistle a mindless tune.

I started to make my way back to the camp that I had setup; it was now dusk and it wouldn't be too long before the twin suns would sink below the horizon and night would engulf the Dune Sea. That was when I saw her.

She was in rough condition; she was dirty, covered with dirt and what appeared to be blood in some places, her clothes were tattered and torn, and she appeared to be in a daze. A blaster was clutched in her right paw which she tried to keep out of view as she peered out from behind an outcropping of rock. I could see that she was in rough shape and decided that I ought to help her out. Her name was Neelaah.

After I treated her wounds and she got some food into her, we spoke briefly about the bounties that we had both been tracking. We found out that we had both been working for Jabba and that our missions were closely related. Very curious.

At first I had been very guarded towards her; I kept my carbine within reach just in case she turned on me. However, as we spoke I got the feeling that I could lower my guard a little, for now.

As we spoke I was suprised to find that her and I had much in common; we were both from desolate, out-of-the-way worlds, we were both bounty hunters, and we shared a similar sense of humor. It had been so long since I've laughed, or even smiled.

I stayed up that night and kept watch over the camp as she slept, my gaze returning to rest on her every now and then. Although she was still in rough shape, I could not escape the fact that she was very beautiful; a soft complexion beneath the dirt and grime that marred her features, eyes so deep and rich that you could fall into them. Tearing my gaze from her, I watched the dancing flames of the fire. Was I going soft?

After scouting the area to make sure that there were no hostiles, I left the camp early in the morning before she awoke. Perhaps it was pity, perhaps it was generosity, maybe even a mix of both that led me to leaving her with the tent, a few supplies, a few credits, and a data disc with my personal comlink frequency. Who knows, perhaps her and I would meet again.

All right, maybe I was going soft.

Suddenly I was torn out of my silent reverie as the shuttle bucked, beginning the landing procedure. This was it; I had to be ready.

My target was a high-stakes gambler who dealt out deeds in games of sabacc that turned out to be completely worthless. He surrounded himself with Weequay bodyguards at all times in the case that someone attacked him. It wouldn't be enough to save him.

As the shuttle landed and the passengers began to file out, I rose and started to make my way towards the rear exit. Time seemed to slow down as I exploded into a flurry of action.

The first of the gambler's bodyguards fell with a vibro-dagger buried to the hilt in his neck. As I spun out of the quick attack I finished releasing my EE3, gripping it in my right hand with the stock firm against my shoulder. My index finger twitched against the firing stud, sending a barrage of suppression fire on the remanding bodyguards, fatally hitting one in the chest and driving the rest of them back.

One brave soul charged towards me between the aisles of seats, a crude vibro-knuckler clucked in his right hand. As he came in with a powerful right-hook, I caught his wrist with my left hand. I knocked the wind out of him with a solid knee to his chest, and a whack at the back of his head with my carbine knocked him into unconsciousness. With only two bodyguards remaining at the gambler's disposal, I continued forward.

I ducked and rolled beneath the blaster bolt of the bodyguard who decided it was time to pull out a blaster pistol of his own. I came up onto one knee and aimed and fired off a laser bolt that caught him between the eyes. I charged forward while the corpse was falling, sending a barrage of blaster-fire at the last remaining bodyguard.

As the brief battle ended I discovered the gambler hunkered down between two seats, pleading frantically with me, offering me great riches if I just let him go. Perhaps he could have given me what he offered, but I did not have a reputation of letting my merchandise go. With a silent shake of my head I pressed the barrel of my carbine against the back of his skull.


	3. Chapter 3: Diary of Rango 2

Diary of Rango - Entry 2

Business:

Business was booming.

My enterprise has expanded first from Tatooine to Lok, and soon after to the rest of the outer rim. I was known for my quick efficiency, and I always delivered. More missions, more credits, more dreams.

I purchased an old Mandalmotors Police Patrol starship a few months ago for scrap prices. Truth be told, it was a hunk of junk when I bought it, however, I was able to finish the last of my many custom modifications thanks to all of this business.

New armor plating, a complete reactor core and engine replacement, stronger shields, a more sophisticated sensor array...and a few more additions that were more than slightly illegal. The list of modifications is long and was expensive, however, I'm in this business to live. In my experience, every battle is first won in the mind. Everything else is just superior firepower.

I stood in the modified cargo hold, looking at the merchandise that I had locked up in one of the four cages that I had installed with grim satisfaction. He was in rough shape, and had put up quite a fight. At the beginning of the reign of Emperor Palpatine, the Empire decreed that all Jedi were a threat to the government and to society as a whole. While most had already been hunted down, a few managed to elude Darth Vader and his hunting parties. There were rumors of an 'old man' that appeared randomly to people, asking them if they ever considered the possibility that they were Force-sensitive. As a result, more followers of the Jedi Order had been popping up here and there on backwater worlds where they were less likely to be noticed. Too bad that this one wasn't more careful.

Before venturing out on this hunt I acquired a curious little reptile. It was called a Ysalamari. The unique thing about this creature was that it created a bubble with a radius of ten meters that negated the Force. A very useful creature indeed.

I tracked him across Lok for days, following rumors and my instincts. Eventually I was led to a small cave opening hidden deep within a large crack in the ground. This Jedi had holed himself up pretty good; several alarm triggers were strategically placed about the area to warn him if anyone ever approached. There was not a doubt in my mind that if I blew this chance, I would not get another one.

I systematically disabled the alarm system triggers, being careful not to scrape or bang the nutrient cage that I had strapped to my back on any of the rock outcroppings. That Ysalamari had cost me a small fortune and I did not want anything happening to it before it earned its keep.

Creeping inside the cave opening, I stayed low, hiding myself in the shadows cast by the light source up ahead. I pressed my back against one of the boulders that littered the gritty ground of the cave floor turning my head and leaning to the side to peer out from behind it.

The cave itself was rather expansive, which the Jedi had utilized in making his abode. Power Generators stood against the back wall, a ring computer terminals and a holonet relays in the center of the 'room'. There was a large pile of resource containers stacked about, some acting as improvised tables. A small workbench and bed stood off to the side.

I silently sprawled myself against the ground and crawled forward, thankful that I wasn't wearing the composite armor chestplate that I usually wore. In this case it would have made too much noise, and no armor that I knew of could protect against the blade of a lightsaber.

The merchandise was fast asleep on his bed. It appeared that he hadn't bothered with changing his clothes or getting under the covers. I figure that he had to get sleep only when he could, and had passed out.

I slowly setup the tripod for the rifle that I had strapped to my back. It was one of the newer T21 models, offering more blaster bolts per power pack, reduced recoil, and a more precise scope. After the tripod was setup and the rifle was in place, I took aim.

Before my finger was able to pull back the firing stud, an alarm started blaring. I was immediately up on one knee, my mind racing as it tried to figure out what alarm trigger that I could have possibly missed. As my gaze landed upon the figure that was slipping in from a hidden back entrance, I cursed aloud. Without thought I snatched a grenade from my belt, pressed my thumb against the arming plate, and tossed it.

I held my gloved hands over my ears and squinted my eyes shut a millisecond before the grenade went off, casting a blinding light and emitting a disorientating high pitched sound. It was designed to only disorientate and incapacitate, not cause damage. Only a fool would have used a thermal detonator in here.

Rushing forward, I slapped my hand against my thigh and pulled out my DL-44, sending a fan of blaster fire towards my assailants. The one that had crept in through the back entrance dropped as a bolt caught him in the chest. Satisfied that he was out of the battle, I focused myself on my actual target.

A male Zabrak, like the mission details had described, stood before me in a fencer's stance, his lightsaber screaming to life, casting an eerie green glow. I flashed a feral smile as I saw the surprised look on his face; he could not detect me through the Force!

Having prepared for this moment, my left hand took the stun baton from the sheath attached to my left boot. As my thumb hit the activation stud, the baton hummed brilliantly, crackling with energy. With a blaster pistol in one hand and a stun baton in the other, I set to work.

Since the Jedi could not sense me, he could only guess my intent, which made my job easier. Charging forward, I laid down a simple suppression fire, ducking beneath some of the bolts that were deflected at me. He was good, but he was no Knight.

When I was close enough, I feigned a lunge and instead swung the left arm, catching the side of the Jedi's head with the stun baton. Momentarily dazed, he dropped his lightsaber. Things were never so simple.

This creature remarkably regained his bearings quicker than I had anticipated, as well as producing a wicked-looking vibro-blade. As the blade slashed the side of my arm, I was punished for my lack of foresight. Never again.

As the melee progressed I slowly gained the upper hand. Since he was inside the Force-negating bubble produced the by Ysalamari, he tired quickly, and his speed was no match for my own.

I looked down at my bare hand, studying my newly acquired lightsaber. It was simple in design; a sleek silver cylinder, a lone activation stud, and an attachment to fasten it to a belt. I was about to punch the activation stud when a beeping began coming from the cockpit of my ship. Furrowing my brow in curiosity, I made my way there.

A red light on the communications console blinked off and on with the beeping, a notification that I was being hailed. Reaching down, I accepted the transmission.

"...Rango?" a female voice spoke uneasily from the speeder. There was no visual.

"This is Rango...Neelaah, is that you?" I asked, recognizing the voice.

"…Yes, it's Neelaah," she responded after a moment's hesitation. "Listen, I don't mean to trouble you, but I need help..."

"Go on."

"...Well...I took on this mission, you see. There has been a pirate gang harassing some of Jabba's freighters and he wants the captain captured. The only problem is that he never goes to ground; he is always on his ship. I would have to disabled this ship, board it, and capture him, but I…"

"You don't know if you can do it by yourself," I said, interrupting her.

"...Yes, that's exactly it. I don't have the experience to pull this off by myself...I could offer you half of the reward. Would you help me?" he asked.

For a moment I stood over the communications console and thought about it. Would I be willing to turn my attention away from my current business to help her with a mission where my only compensation would be half of the reward? I shook my head in spite of myself.

"All right, I will help you. Pick a rendezvous point and send me the coordinates. I need to drop off something and then I will head directly to you," I responded. A few moments later my navicomputer's screen flashed to life with a soft tone, a string of numbers streaming across it.

"I will see you soon...," she said before she cut the transmission. Maybe it was my mind playing tricks on me, but she almost sounded...hopeful?

Lowering myself down into the pilot seat I titled my head back, sighing softly as I considered my next move. I was already involved in a project, however, perhaps I could use this situation more to my advantage. Leaning forward, I punched a com frequency into the communications console.

"This better be what I think it's about," a rough voice said as the upper torso of a grinning human male materialized over the console.

"You bet, Neloi," I said as I leaned back on my seat, folding my arms across my chest. "I need your slicing skills for that project that I mentioned to you awhile back. I found us our third party."

"Oh yeah? And who would that be?" he asked, his shaven head shining dully in the lights of the hole he was currently occupying.

"You'll find out soon enough," I responded. "I'm sending you the coordinates of where we are all meeting. Don't be late," I said before cutting the transmission. I didn't want to say too much even with encryption as good as this. You could never be too careful.

The star points stretched into long lines once my navicomputer had finished calculating the jump to the Imperial station in Tatooinian space. I leaned back in my seat again, closing my eyes. I could still remember in vivid detail my first encounter with Neelaah. She was new to this trade, but she had a fiery spirit. She would be an asset.


	4. Chapter 4: Neelaah's Journal 2

Neelaah's Journal 2

Neelaah's Journal: Entry 2

The pirate captain would be bantha fodder once I had my hands on him; that much I was sure. Still, the thought lingered long in my mind, that I would need Rango'tan's help on getting him to go to ground. The task proved just too difficult otherwise. After all, I was still only a novice. A couple months of mercenary gigs, and what did I have to show for it? Nothing. Even C-3PO, that incompetent fool, would have had a better time of it.

Cursing silently under my breath, I punched the coordinates into the navicomputer and left the ship on autopilot while I went to change into something more comfortable. Riding around for days at a time in the same armor wasn't exactly my idea of luxury, but then who could afford luxury in times like these? Bounties were far more scarce - not what they used to be, especially with a Hutt like Jabba running the show. Hutts were stingy with money; rumor had it he once fed a young mercenary to the Rancor just for arguing with him over a measly six hundred credits. I reminded myself often not to do the same. I took what Jabba offered me gladly, and rarely complained. Being associated with the Hutt was enough for my reputation, even if I didn't deliver.

I unlaced the armor and slipped it over my head as the ship bucked a little. It was old and deteriorating, and I didn't have the chance to make the proper repairs once I'd docked back in Theed. I reminded myself to take a look at it once I was on terra firma.

I pulled on some work slacks and a ratty top; there was no need to make myself look presentable just yet, and I much preferred comfort to any amount of attention I might receive from the other sex. I laced up a pair of hide boots and took my place at the ship's controls. Outside, space whizzed by, endlessly black, never inviting.

Suddenly, the ship was buffeted by a volley of laserfire, and I tumbled out of my seat and onto the floor. I didn't even have time to check the readings on my sensors as the lasers blared in and out of sight. I spun myself into a seat and prepared to take aim.

The pirate gang knew they had taken me off guard and used it to their full advantage. Unless I acted fast, the situation would be looking ugly very soon. First I targeted, then let loose my lasers on them. My first shot hadn't even crippled or been enough to disable any vital systems in the pirate ship, as it veered fifty yards off the mark and into space. I cursed myself and turned the lasers quickly onto them again, as I was met with another round of firing. My ship flew off the mark again; I lodged myself in the seat and took over the controls. If my weapons skills weren't enough, then at least I would have to make do with my piloting skills. But how long could I lead this chase? Without the proper repairs made to my ship, they more than likely would disable or disintegrate it. Preferably the former.

I gasped desperately into the comlink.

"Rango!"

The belly of the ship shook with a barrage of laserfire; for a moment all I heard was my own breathing, labored, and terrified.

"Rango'tan, where are you!"

A shield of light spread across my vision, and I momentarily thought they'd hit me. Perhaps this was what dying was like. It was only minutes - though what seemed like hours - before I realized the flash of light had not been directed toward me - but the other ship had inadvertently blown up. I gazed all around up into open space, and there it was. The unmistakable form of Rango'tan's old Mandalmotors Police Patrol starship hurtling into my view. A buzzing static sounded from the other end of the comlink.

"And a good evening to you, Neelaah."

I let out the breath I had been holding for the last few minutes, relived, but annoyed by his heroics.

"It's about time you showed up!"

"I had busin...t...tak...of..." Rango's voice crackled and faded.

"Rango!" I yelled into the comlink. "I'm losing you. Let's bring our ships together so we can talk."

Truth be told, talking was the furthest thing from my mind. I planned to give him a good sound scolding once I had him in my sights. I was almost gone.

Minutes later, the door slipped open and Rango'tan walked in, followed by another armor-clad figure bearing a heavy-looking EE3 blaster rifle. He sneered over at me in recognition, and again, I knew how I must look. Why was it every time Rango'tan and I met, I was always in some form of disarray?

"What took you so long?" I asked.

"Well, I should think my act of bravery would merit some thanks," Rango'tan said with a smile. He didn't seem fazed at all by the pirate gang's attack. I tried to feign the same kind of nonchalant manner, but I failed dismally.

"Really, now, you had me scared."

"We should dock and have a look at your reactor. You don't want to go riding around with a damaged one. I'm sure you'll light up the sky much brighter than that pirate gang."

I sneered, but didn't take too kindly to the joke, not when it was my life on the line. I looked over toward the armored stranger.

"Who's this?"

"This is an old friend. Neloi," Rango'tan introduced, with an imperious wave of his arm. "Which reminds me."

"Yes?" I asked, suddenly weary.

"We're on a mission. And, well, consider your debt repaid if you help us."

"My debt!" I blinked in disbelief. Now, he had the gall to tell me I owed him one?

"Well, we did save your life and all." Rango'tan paused for a moment, emphatically. "Of course, we could always just leave you here, with busted up reactors, for the next gang of pirates to find out what you've done and come blast you..."

"All right all right!" I yelled. I was in no bartering mood, but if that was his game, I was going to play it too. I glanced for a moment down at Rango'tan's belt and noticed the perfectly sculpted shape of a silver cylinder, sleek in form, with a big round activation stud. My eyes widened. I had never seen one of those in my lifetime, though I'd heard much about them.

"Is that what I think it is?"

Rango'tan suddenly drew his cloak over the lightsaber, shielding it from my gaze. His eyes flashed dangerously at me, and I knew not to inquire any further.

"That is none of your business."

"Right, sorry."

Neloi lowered his rifle and nudged Rango'tan with his elbow.

"We should get going. We will return to Jabba for Neelaah's bounty then we'll get going on our mission. It's best we don't waste anymore time than we already have."

"Good idea," Rango'tan answered with a nod. They both looked at me appraisingly.

"We had better take one ship. Yours is in haphazard condition. We'd be best taking mine. You can dock in Theed and come with us."

Knowing I had little choice in the matter, I nodded my consent. These two imposing figures had me pinned down to one answer, and whatever I said, it had to be the right one. After they left, I sat back down at the controls and prepared to punch in my coordinates for the Hutt's bounty.

Next stop, Tatooine.


	5. Chapter 5: Diary of Rango 3

Diary of Rango - Entry 3

We sat hunkered around a small stone table at the back of Jabba's main audience chamber. Impressed with how quickly Neelaah was able to complete her mission, Jabba gave us access to the facilities in his palace for the time being. We needed a break anyway.

Neloi sat across from me, nursing a mug of hooch that even I wasn't brave enough to endure. Dressed in slightly scuffed black leather boots, brown trousers, a simple tan shirt, and a nerf-hide jacket, he look every bit of the rouge that I head met almost a decade earlier in a seedy cantina on Tatooine. Some things, or people, never seemed to change. That was a comforting thought. As we awaited Neelaah to return from the kitchen, my mind flashed back several hours earlier.

Neelaah's ship was in rough shape.

When Neloi and I actually had a chance to inspect the damage, we decided that it probably wouldn't last until we reached Tatooine. So, we had to be a little creative.

We docked the ships with each other for the trip back to Tatooine; fortunately my ship had a docking port large enough to accommodate Neelaah's ship. Once the seals were secured, Neelah and I donned environmental suits that I kept aboard my ship, the Advent Folly. With the ships successfully attached, Neloi took over piloting the Advent Folly while Neelaah and I started general repairs and maintenance on her ship. Having a reactor core breach would have been catastrophic, however, I knew a few tricks to nurse Neelaah's ship along the way.

"Pass me the hydrospanner," I said, my voice slightly distorted by my environmental suit's com unit. Neelaah and I removed a panel from the floor of the engine room to expose the different lines and feeds that ran to and from the reactor, a space that I had lower myself down into.

"Here it is," Neelaah responded a few moments later, a hydrospanner lowering down into my peripheral vision. "How is it looking?" she asked as I took the hydrospanner.

"Better than it was before," I responded, my response short. "I'm amazed that your ship has held up this long. Have you been maintaining it at all?" I asked, still slightly annoyed with the mess that her ship was in.

"Sith spit, Rango, will you give it a rest?" she yelled, the com crackling at the high level of audio output. I had already given her the third degree within minutes of assessing her ship.

"Fine," I bit out, grunting as I yanked on the hydrospanner to adjust the reactor coolant feed. To my amazement, the bolt popped off, allowing a steady stream of steaming coolant spray out. Cursing aloud, I reach leaned over and picked up the bolt. After I retrieved the roll of metal tape from the tool kit I brought down with me, I wrapped it tightly around the tube connection, holding the bolt firmly in place and sealing of the leak.

"Oh, will you look at that!" Neelaah's voice mocked from inside my helmet. "Rango, the expert ship engineer made a mistake!"

For a moment I seriously considered muting her enviro suit's com frequency.

Letting out a sigh, I endured her verbal onslaught. Perhaps I had deserved it, but that did nothing to pacify my wounded pride.

Truth be told, we were both getting on each other's nerves. Neelaah wasn't too impressed by my late arrival at the rendezvous and her near-death experience. Neither was I happy that I had to spend the hour or so it would take to reach and land on Tatooine to fix a poorly maintained vessel when the time could have been used to go over our plans.

With Neelaah's assistance I finished the patch-up job on her ship in just shy of an hour. After packing up the tools and putting the floor panel back in place to cover the area that I was working in, we made our way to the airlock to transfer back over to the Advent Folly. We were going to emerge from hyperspace soon and I wanted us to all be on my ship, just in case.

Neelah tore off the helmet of her enviro suit and tossed it on the flour of my ship's airlock with a noise of exasperation.

"Watch it," I snapped in warning, already halfway out of my own enviro suit. "If you break that I am taking it out of your share of this project," I continued, glaring at her as I sat down on the bench to remove my boots.

"You know Rango, I've had about enough of your commands," she said, stepping towards me. "You've pushed me as about as far as I can stand and I'm sick of it!" he yelled, getting right into my face.

As our glaring eyes met, timed slowed down for a few moments. Her expression changed; she no longer appeared angry. We began to lean in, eyes closing...

"What the hell is all of the racket about?" Neloi said, bursting through the airlock door, wearing a smart-ass grin.

Neelah and I were snapped out of our moment before it could be shared; she jumped back, I stood up. We stood there for a moment, almost not sure what to do. Before any one of us could say anything, a steady beeping started to come from the cockpit.

"We better get ready to exit hyper space," I said hanging up my environmental suit. Neelaah did the same and silently left the airlock, headed towards the cockpit. All Neloi did was grin at me.

"Here she comes," Neloi said, leaning against the edge of the table as Neelaah's form appeared amidst the crowd. I pushed out one of the empty seats with a booted foot. She accepted the chair with a curt nod of her head. Though she was putting on the act of still being annoyed with me, it didn't seem entirely genuine.

I outlined the project that the three of us would be working on. There was a small time crime lord, Raduah Estakh, based on Lok that had acquired plans of some sort. Word of this was not wide spread, however, there were some major players making very high bids on these plans. I planned on using the situation to my advantage. Basically, we would infiltrate the crime lord's abode, I would be in disguise as one of the many different kinds of denizens that frequented this place and Neloi would slice the vault that contained the plans. However, there was a problem; the crime lord's guards maintained a fairly tight security on the building and required that beings present clearance before entering. Gaining us clearance was Neelaah's job.

"You've got to be kidding me," she said, eyebrows lifting as I broke the news to her.

"I certainly am not," I said in respond, silently willing my nerves to be calm. The last thing I needed was to have the most vital person in the group angry with me. Well, not any more angry than she already was. "Raduah has a penchant for female humanoid dancers. All that you would need to do is show up and play the roll of the poor, sweet but naive girl, and you will be in his audience chamber in a matter of hours. Once you are in, find a way to lift two clearance ID cards, and smuggle them out to us," I explained in further detail, trying my best to make it sound reasonable.

"Rango, I don't know..." Neelaah said softly, gaze downcast.

"Sweetheart, you've got the looks and the wits to pull this off," Neloi said encouragingly, offering her wink. For some reason I was about to flash Neloi a glare. He better not try anything with her, I found myself thinking. I sighed inwardly. I was definitely going soft. Despite my feelings, Neloi was right about her, and giving her a little confidence boost would go a long way.

"...All right, you've got yourself a dancing girl," Neelaah said after a few moments, her shyness suddenly gone as she looked at both me and Neloi in turned. "You two just better be ready to fork over my share when this is done."

With that, it was settled.


	6. Chapter 6: Neelaah's Journal 3

Neelaah's Journal: Entry 3

It had taken me a bit of convincing from Neloi to get me into the guise of a palace dancer. At first I was incensed that they even suggest such a thing. Kateel of Kuhlvult would never behave in the manner in which I was forced. But Kateel was long gone, and that left only Neelaah, the poor, waifish girl who had transformed herself from street urchin to bounty hunter. Anger soon dissolved to resignation, as I realized the sooner I played the part, the more likely I was to get out of this temporary alliance and back on my own, hunting for the Hutt.

I had never met Raduah Estakh, but I heard stories of him while working in the employ of Jabba. He was a crime lord notorious for his riotous living and hard bargaining. Almost like Jabba himself, but on a much smaller scale. The Falleen commanded a troupe of dancers who were the best thing this side of the galaxy. The Starsisters would prove to be a tricky group to get into, but once I had, I had a wealth of knowledge at my disposal, most of what I needed to release me from my alliance.

On Lok Rango'tan had bartered for some old dancer's clothes, thinking that I might be able to make something of them with my tailor skills. I spent hour after hour laboring intently over them while Rango and Neloi spoke privately in the cockpit of the Advent Folly. We docked to make the proper repairs, and to give me time to assume my new disguise.

I finished my sewing and tried on the new threads. The outfit exposed more skin than I was used to showing, even as a dancing girl in Jabba's Palace. I felt compelled to walk around with my hands crossed over my stomach, but if I didn't play the part well they would suspect me. I had to present a believable performance to gain admission into the private quarters.

I then thought of Rango. We had exchanged heated words shortly before, which soon gave way to a feeling I was unsure of. His face had relaxed as he looked at me, and his grip had also slackened. Then he leaned in...and Neloi walked into the room. I was grateful for the interference, because I didn't know what would have happened if he didn't show up on the spot.

I finished adjusting the garments then walked into the cockpit. Both Neloi and Rango'tan were looking at me, and for some reason, the attention made me uncomfortable. I looked somewhere, anywhere, but at them.

"I'm ready," I announced softly. How foolish I must have looked, when a mere few minutes ago I had all the pride in the world. Now I felt vulnerable.

"OK, Neloi and I have been discussing our plan. Once you get inside, we are going to need you to gain us some clearance."

"Clearance, eh?" I echoed.

"Yes. I'll be disguised as a denizen of the old Falleen's palace. Neloi'll be with me - he'll slice the vault with the plans. But the vault is very well guarded. We're going to rely on you to get us there, Neelaah. You give the signal once you're ready."

"Oh, that's all!" I huffed impatiently. It was about as easy as trying to pin a tail on an angry bantha.

"Just think of the nice big bounty we'll be splitting after this is over," Neloi offered, perhaps to put me in good humor. It did help.

"All right. But you owe me, big time. It better be split in perfect thirds!"

"Yes, yes, now, you should get going," Rango'tan said, ushering me toward the door. He threw me a cloak to cover myself with for the long walk to the falleen's palace of depravity. I noted the stares of several curious aliens as I passed by - most with three eyes or more - going about my own business. I must've not fit in at all, a lonely human girl on some desolate backwater planet walking around in dancer's threads. Thankfully I had the cloak to cover me, or my humiliation would have been complete.

It was a hard, rocky road but I soon came to the main gate, which was guarded by a pair of Rodians with blastech rifles. They crossed themselves in front of my path, barring entry, but I lifted the hood of my cloak and commanded my voice imperiously up to the sky.

"Let me pass, I am on urgent business here. I wish to speak with your majordomo."

I didn't have to wait long for my request to be fulfilled. Immediately, a swanky Twi'lek scampered out of the palace doors and ordered the Rodians away with a flick of his wrist. He reminded me of a certain Twi'lek I had seen many times before in Jabba's Court - Bib Fortuna, a miserable creature if ever I met one. Perhaps he was a distant cousin. Twi'leks were notorious for having hundreds of cousins stationed all across the galaxy. I explained to him that I wished to audition for the Starsisters, and he answered that request with a sneer.

"You're pretty enough, well built and well groomed," he said in his native Ryl, circling me with an appraising eye. I felt as though he was looking at some sort of ship components under close inspection, and it made me uncomfortable. "But can you dance? Lord Raduah will not keep anything near him that does not make him happy. If he feels you are inadequate, he will dispense with you immediately."

I swallowed the knot that clung in my throat uneasily. Dispense with me? Still, I had to maintain that air of confidence to pull this off. What I lacked in dancing skills, I'd make up for in charm (and more than enough of it).

"Of course I do! Have you ever heard of the Starsider dance competition?"

The old Twi'lek's face contorted in a show of acknowledgment.

"I won it."

I proceeded to extol on about all my other accomplishments, none of which were true, but if lying was what I needed to get me in then I would do it.

"And the Boonta-Eve Babes competition?"

He nodded his head, his lekku strung so tightly about his neck that I wanted to suffocate him with them.

"In the bag," I explained nonchalantly. He nodded, transfixed by my confident display.

"Well, then, I'll bring you to the dance mistress. She'll teach you everything you need to know."

As he spoke, we walked through several cavernous underground halls, dingy holes in the wall which rang with laughter and music from a distant source. I followed close at heel, determined to keep up with the Twi'lek.

"Usually, there is one performance at the day's end, which involves all of the dancers - Raduah's prize pets. If you learn your part well tonight you may be able to perform."

I nodded and listened as he introduced me to the dance mistress, who proceeded to go through innumerable steps of a dance I couldn't remember. Hours had passed, and I was still learning the steps, determined to make it in time for the night performance. The woman cursed at me and fixed her face into a hard, unsightly scowl.

"You have to work harder. Push yourself."

So I continued working; my life depended on it. I didn't want to incur Raduah's wrath and be conveniently "disposed of" as the Twi'lek said. If anything, I was determined to practice the steps more than any of the other dancers in the palace. I stopped only to eat dinner, a tiny mess hall that had been set up somewhere off the royal kitchen. As I sat down to eat an unsightly mixture of what looked to be pomplouf stew, one of the older girls sat down next to me. She was tall, more graceful than I'd ever be, and moved like a cat. Her long red hair cascaded down her shoulders like water as she leaned her head over in a greeting.

"You new here?"

"Yeah," I said, relieved I could put aside the insidious mixture to talk for a moment. "I'm Neelaah."

"I'm Genuah," the girl said, extending her hand. I accepted it with a firm shake, and then allowed her to sit beside me while we ate.

"Is the food always this bad?"

"Yeah, we get this every night."

"Oh, joy." I couldn't contain my enthusiasm.

"You practiced your moves?" Genuah asked, wide-eyed.

"Yeah, a little."

"You better practice more, Raduah will use you in the beast hunt if you fail to please him tonight."

"In the b-b-b-b-b-b...h-h...what?" I quivered, suddenly afraid.

"But I'm sure you've practiced enough!" Genuah quipped, obviously aware of my insecurity. After dinner, I set about going over my moves more. Then a loud horn signaled the end of dinner and the beginning of the dance.

We all filed into line, and I stood behind Genuah. If all else failed, I would try to mimic her movements and hopefully Raduah wouldn't notice if I blended in. One by one, we moved into a chamber with a wide, vaulted ceiling, which seemed to stretch on forever. Denizens of every color and kind littered the room, some drunk, some barely hanging onto consciousness. At the head of the enclave, sat Raduah himself.

As a Falleen, he was exceptionally beautiful. I found myself curiously, and mysteriously drawn to him. His skin, pale green, looked soft and sensuous, and for a moment my mind wandered...what would it be like to touch him? I felt dizzy...but I tried to put the thought out of my mind.

I took my place on the floor and lifted up my arms, going through the steps I had practiced. Out of the corner of my eye, I noted Rango'tan, dressed conspicuously like a scruffy pilot, a part he played all too well. Somewhere beside him, Neloi sat at a table with a bunch of Wookiees, playing a hand of sabacc. Rango'tan had once made passing mention of Neloi being a poor gambler, but I tried not to notice as the Wookiees took all of his coins, and Neloi sat looking very dejected. I continued on with the dance, looking to Genuah for guidance throughout most of it. I thought the horn signaling the end of the dance would never come. When it did, finally, I was grateful for the thrill of finally being able to relax. Obviously Raduah was pleased, or he would have dispensed with someone - anyone - sometime in the performance.

The dancers milled about the room, allowing for individual performances. Oh no. I had almost forgotten, that at some point in the night I would be required to entertain Raduah by myself. The lady had mentioned it, but I labored so hard over the steps that I hadn't even processed what she said until now. First up was Genuah, all long legs and red hair, gracefully flipping back and forth across the floor for Raduah's delight. He was enchanted with her, from the looks of it. Hopefully she would hold his interest long enough that I wouldn't be called upon to do my duty.

I found a little time to steal away and talk to Rango'tan while Genuah was performing. I sidled my way through the crowd and pressed up against a heavy beam near where he was standing.

"I haven't been able to do anything yet," I explained.

"Obviously, or you would have given us a signal." Rango'tan seemed a little miffed that I was taking so long to gain clearance to Raduah's personal vault. I, however, saw it as biding my time.

"Is Neloi all ready to go?" I asked him.

"From the looks of it. I don't think he has anything left to bet on," Rango'tan answered, motioning toward Neloi. I laughed a little.

"Give me more time."

"Hurry up."

I was being called. The dance mistress saw it as her duty to introduce me to Raduah, so that he could sample some of my charms as a dancer. I was horrified at the prospect. My dancing was lackluster - much less than what Genuah's had been - and I would be the laughingstock of the palace, or even worse, I would be bantha fodder. I composed myself and allowed the mistress to lead me by the arm to Raduah's dais.

"This is Neelaah, whom we've newly acquired," the old woman explained, "she wishes to dance for your majesty's pleasure."

I wanted to spit in his face, just to show how much I thought of his majesty. But at the same time, I felt acutely aware of the intensity with which Raduah looked at me. His deep violet eyes scorched me with their candor and wildness. There was something intoxicating about him, as though I would have gladly bathed in his presence a thousand times over. At least now I would have a chance to catch his eye with my performance, and perhaps, well then - who knew?

I performed every step meticulously, ever conscious of the gaze upon me. It was the best I'd ever done, I was sure, when I finished to a round of applause from Raduah and some of his cronies. He rose from his seat and stepped down the dais, offering me a hand.

"My dear, I would be most honored if you would join me in my quarters for some polite conversation."

I felt drunk, dizzyingly so, and nodded my assent. When he touched my hand, a shock of electricity ran from my fingertips down the length of my body and into my feet. I was transfixed; all the rest of the room faded away, with nothing but Raduah and me.

He was garbed in silk brocade, fur-trimmed with the hide of some precious beast, ornately expensive I knew. As we walked, his silks gently skimmed the ground, rustling with the slightest of whispers. He was large, well muscled, powerful, and I followed him like a puppy.

He lifted one hand to slide open the door to his chamber, then led me into a well-lit room flowering with the scent of expensive perfumes, probably from the market in Theed. He sat down, then offered me the seat beside him. Something inside me told me to refuse.

"Do not be afraid. Come, sit here."

He patted the seat a little, and I took my place beside him. This close, I felt like I was drowning in a sea of passion, with no way to find myself out again. He snapped his fingers for an attendant to bring some wine to drink.

"You must be thirsty, after the performance you gave me."

I took the drink, never once thinking it might be the wrong thing to do, and downed it in one gulp. My whole body was shaking, and I couldn't control it. I was very aware of how revealing the outfit I was wearing was, especially when the crime lord assessed me with hungry eyes. Raduah was smiling by the time I set my glass aside.

"You did well tonight. You pleased me very well."

"I am glad. Have you ever noticed how the sky in Lok is always gray? I mean, it doesn't make sense with the weather and all, I mean, its no Rori..." I rambled on, determined to fill the gap of silence.

I would have rambled on about other, meaningless things had his hand not snaked up my leg and grasped my knee violently. He leaned forward and let his lips settle on my throat in one, lingering kiss. I wished that he would move upward so that I could fully taste him. At that moment, I pulled myself away. Something inside me cautioned me against this; it was not like me to go throwing myself at strange men.

"Do you have more wine? The wine on Lok tastes so much better than other w-"

"There's no need for polite conversation here," Raduah chuckled, bemused by my nervous habit, "come, sit a little closer. I won't hurt you. I think we can please each other very well tonight."

I was half-aware of his wandering hands as the wine numbed my senses and I succumbed to it. Suddenly, I snapped to attention, and pulled out the dagger I had hidden underneath my skirt. I raised it, poised above him, as he grasped my wrists and forced me down on the floor. I tried to fight, but I had no fight left in me. He easily knocked the knife out of my hand and pinned me against the ground.

"That was a very stupid thing to do."

What was I to do? If I didn't think fast, I would be another victim of Raduah's...passions. He started ripping off his silk cloaks savagely, and for once I was sorry that I'd let reason and logic get the best of me. Perhaps, if I had just played into the scheme - done what he wanted - I would have been more of a help to Rango'tan and Neloi. I closed my eyes to let him do what he intended.


	7. Chapter 7: Diary of Rango 4

Diary of Rango - Entry 4

We had to act quickly.

I discretely slipped a hand into my pants pocket and palmed the remote, tapping the button on it twice. It would send a signal to the like device that Neloi was carrying.

I leaned back against the wall as I waited for Neloi to come over, folding my arms over my chest as I feigned interest in the dancers that were now on stage. There was only one dancer that I had in mind.

"What's going on?" Neloi asked as he moved up beside me, gaze focused on the dancers.

"Neelaah is in trouble," I responded in hushed tones, my mind racing. "We need to act now."

"I saw two of Raduah's guards head towards the 'fresher a few minutes ago."

I gave Neloi a nod and made my way out of the room towards the 'fresher station, pacing myself so that Neloi would arrive right behind me. Pushing open the battered metal door, I scowled slightly at the smell of the 'fresher. For all of the wealth Raduah commanded, he certainly didn't see fit to share it.

I took the stall near the back and casually glanced about, noting that it was only myself and the two guards in the room. When I saw Neloi enter, I nodded to him so that he would lock the door. After that, we set to work.

A few minutes later we exited the 'fresher with our spoils; a set of ID clearance cards that would give us access to anywhere in the compound. We quickly went over the new plans; Neloi would go immediately to the vault, neutralize the guards and the security system then set to work on the vault. When he was done he would set the security alarms to go off in enough time to allow him to exit the building. That way the base would be alerted to the vault while he was already on his way.

As for me, I had other business to take care of.

Before taking on this mission I paid off one of the janitors to smuggle out a download of the building's layout. I had spent hours going over it, memorizing every hallway, every room, every security camera.

I quickly worked my way through hallway after hallway, only slowing down as I bumped shoulders with a Weequay. Eventually I reached my destination. I swiped my ID card through the scanner beside the door and opened it a crack to peer inside. The scene shook me more than I'd like to admit.

I saw the wing. I saw Raduah lean forward, pressing a kiss against Neelaah's neck. I saw Neelaah's hesitation and the sudden moment of clarity shock through her before she pulled out a dagger. I saw Raduah wrestle her down to the floor of his apartment before he started to rip off his clothes. A bitter hate burned deep within my heart, but there was more going on than either Neloi or Neelaah knew. This mission was more than just business, it was personal.

While Raduah's attention was focused on Neelaah, I silently slipped into the room and engaged the locks. Before Raduah could prostrate himself on top of Neelaah, I was on him, hooking my arm around his neck and pulling him back. The falleen was quick-witted. He shoved an elbow back, catching me square in the stomach. As I stumbled back he went for the dagger that he has wrestled for Neelaah's grasp and attacked me in an instant, his slash opening a large gash over my left eyebrow. Reeling from his attack my back connected against a bookshelf, causing the various books and valuable displayed on it to tumbled off. As Raduah stocked towards me I spotted a fancy-looking scepter.

The moment that I picked up the meter-long object, Raduah attacked again. I dodged out of the way of the swipe and hefted the scepter over my shoulder door, bringing it down with a loud crack on the top of the falleen's head. I caught him as he began to fall, positioning myself once again behind him, his neck held tightly in the crook of my right arm.

"This is for the Village of Kar Averalak," I growled between clench teeth, my voice low and fierce. I grabbed the back of Raduah's head with my left hand and gave it a sharp twist. The wet sound of his neck breaking seemed to hang in the room as I released my grip and let his corpse fall to the floor. I spat a wad of mucus on it. And that was for even thinking of imposing yourself on Neelaah, I silently added.

I turned to face Neelaah and saw the shock on her face. The encounter with the falleen must have shaken her pretty badly; falleen males could exude very potent pheromones that would dissolve the will of most female humanoids. That combined with my sudden entrance and the brief melee that resulted in Raduah's death must have had her mind racing.

Neelaah was still dressed in her dancer's attire, fortunately for both her and myself; otherwise it would have been a bit embarrassing. She sat up and looked in horror at the blood running down the side of my face from the three-inch long gash that I had received from Raduah.

Before she could say anything I slipped off my jacket and tossed it to her so that she could cover herself up a bit for our escape. After she had slipped it on I leaned over and offered my hand to help her up.

"Let's get you out of here."


	8. Chapter 8: Neelaah's Journal 4

Neelaah's Journal: Entry 4

I was still pretty shaken from my encounter with Raduah, and even more so from Rango's timely entrance. He spit on the crime lord's corpse and kicked it with a steel-toed boot.

"Let's get you out of here."

He saw me shiver and threw his jacket at me, which I caught in one hand. I was still in my dancer's attire, exposing more skin than I would have liked, which made me uncomfortable -- especially in front of Rango. I half-expected him to give me some smart remark, so I donned the jacket without thinking. This way, I would be much more prepared for anything he could give me.

Suddenly, I was struck with a thought.

"What did you mean when you said it was for the village of Kar Averalak?"

I knew my mistake the moment I made it. Rango'tan's eyes darkened over, and he didn't answer me, signifying to me that it was perhaps none of my business. I knew better than to pursue the matter further, seeing as I didn't want to be on the bad side of the man who was supposedly rescuing me.

"That is none of your business. Come now, let's go before they find us," he growled.

Rango was right; we had to act quickly. If any of Raduah's sniveling underlings were to come in and see what would happen, we'd be bantha fodder. Rango pointed to a high-placed vent on the wall, which led into a set of ducts.

"There. We go there."

"Are you kidding?"

It looked like a tight fit, but we could possibly just make it.

"No. Unless you'd like to stay here and deal with Raduah's subjects. I'm sure they'd be happy to have you."

There was probably already a bounty on my head the size of the galaxy. It didn't take long for me to process the thought.

"The vent sounds like a good idea," I agreed. Rango knelt down and held his palms upward, for me to climb up on and wiggle my way into the vent. I put my foot on his interlaced fingers and was prepared to boost myself up, when I suddenly stopped.

"Rango?"

My hand brushed his shoulder gently; enough for him to momentarily forget what he was doing, and look up into my face. I tried to make my face as sweet and serene as possible.

"I wanted to thank you for what you did back there."

"No time," he grunted. I knelt in front of him, so that we were level with one another, and looked deep into his eyes.

"Just in case I don't have time later, to thank you..."

His hands circled about my waist and he closed his eyes. I leaned my face into him...and the alarm started ringing.

"Damn," Rango'tan cursed out loud, releasing me.

"That Neloi, always has good timing doesn't he?" I quipped, but Rango'tan was apparently not in the mood for jokes.

"Come on, hurry now!"

He boosted me up into the small shaft. I began crawling on my belly through the duct, looking down through the grates into a number of occupied and some empty rooms. There was a plethora of all kinds of noises coming from them, some of which I tried desperately to block out but to no avail.

Rango'tan bumped into me.

"Come on, get going!"

"All right, leave me alone! I'm stuck here!"

I had gone straight into a wall. Rango'tan crawled backward a little bit, enough for me to escape the dead end, and I followed him through to another duct, with a gathering burst of light at the end. As we neared the opening, I squinted my eyes into the sun. It was a dust storm outside; billows of dust, buffeted by the wind, spread wide across the desert sands. Rango'tan unwrapped a piece of fabric he had wound around his waist, then split it in two, handing one part to me.

"Gonna need this...sand can be rough..."

He slipped easily out of the vent, then raised both arms up to help me down. He held me there for a few moments, looking into my eyes, before I realized where we both were, and started choking and shielding my watering eyes from the great lashes of sand that stung them.

"Here, follow me. The ship's this way."

I could hear the alarm blaring in and out of the distance, and all the while I held the fabric tightly pressed to my nose and mouth, padding along behind Rango'tan. The sands weighted me down, but I fought further every step. I felt a tap on my shoulder and spun around, lasers trained.

"Whoa! It's just me!" Neloi yelled through the mask. "A little bit of gratitude would be nice."

I thanked him and we were on our way, the three of us, through the eye of the dust storm where our ship, the Advent Folly, was waiting.


	9. Chapter 9: Diary of Rango 5

Diary of Rango - Entry 5

I had been tossing and turning all night; my sleep was broken and fragmented by dreams of the tragedy at Kar Averalak, old worries and fears, and Neelaah. I sat up in my bunk, rubbing my eyes before looking over at the small chrono over at the other end of the room. Some night, I thought to myself with a sigh. I was hoping to get some rest before the Advent Folly dropped out of hyperspace, but it looted like I wouldn't be so lucky.

Tossing the covers aside, I swung my legs over the edge of the bunk, muffling a mighty yawn with the back of a hand. Reaching over, I slapped on the lightning panel above my bunk, dimly illuminating my quarters. It was a small affair that I had decorated with a few mementos. Gazing around, my eyes fell on the kunga knife that I had found when I used to explore Dantooine as a child. So many memories...

Shaking my head free of the inflow of memory and emotion, I rose from my bunk, pulling on a pair of trousers. I walked towards the door and pressed the activation panel beside it, shrugging on a sleeveless undershirt as I emerged into one of the hallways on the main level. I walked barefoot down the hallway to the maintenance room that I outfitted the ship with.

I stopped at the doorway and glanced down towards the cockpit, the faint sound of snoring drifting its way past the muffled humming and hissing of the Advent Folly. Neloi had volunteered to doze in the pilot's seat in case there was any trouble during the 'night'. At least one of us is getting some shut-eye, I thought, a tired smile forming on my lips.

Neloi and I go way back, and it has been adventure after adventure since. We always managed to get ourselves in trouble, but some how we always managed to get out of it alive. While it was easy to look at Neloi and judge him for his cocky attitude and scoundrel behavior, he was my closest and most trusted friend. I owe him my life.

I sat down at the workbench and started taking apart one of my EE3 carbines. It overheated the last time I used it, and the power pack was consequently fused into its socket. Working with my hands and solving familiar problems has always helped to ease my mind, but even with that, my thoughts drifted back to Lok.

We trudged along the dunes of Lok, heads bowed as we plowed on in the midst of the sandstorm. Neloi had acquired a breather-mask from someplace, and Neelaah and myself protected our eyes with pieces of fabric that I had torn off from my garb. These tools were crude, but they did a decent enough job. The trek back to my ship was close to ten kilometers away; good thing that I had prepared for this.

About a kilometer away from Raduah's stronghold was a small cave that I had turned into a storehouse, stocked with munitions, rations, canisters of water, and two speederbikes. They weren't as fast as swoops, but they were cheap.

The Advent Folly was about the same size as a Corellian YT-1300, adequately appointed, as well as heavily armed. All adversaries are defeated with the mind; everything else is just superior firepower.

We parked her in the base of a canyon about one kilometer away from Raduah's stronghold. Camo netting was draped over the ship, producing false scanner readings and providing minimal protection against visual scans. Even with all of that, there was still no guarantee that someone wouldn't find the ship.

Neloi and I unholstered our blasters as we neared the outcropping of rocks, signaling Neelaah to lay low. A worn DL44 blaster pistol was gripped in Neloi's right hand. It seemed to be a standard issue sidearm found among most privateers, but Neloi had removed the aiming sight from the barrel. There was an incident years ago where he got caught in a cantina brawl and the sight got caught in his holster; not a good thing when a quick draw is in order. He hunched low and quickly moved to take cover behind a large rock, back pressed against it as he nodded for me to move.

I carried a DE-10 pistol in each hand. They cost me a small fortune and a lot of grief, but never have I handled such fine weaponry; minimum recoil, high-energy bolts, and a very fast cooling rate, virtually allowing me constant fire rate. Rushing forward, I took cover behind an outcropping of rock about 20 meters away from Neloi, eyes narrowed as I listened.

"Watcha think it's doing here?" a distinctly alien voice said in a familiar tongue. It was a Rodian.

"Probably stopped by for a nice picnic," a voice dripping with sarcasm spat out in basic. "What do you think? The barve who owns this ship is obviously trying to hide it!" they continued. The voice was definitely male. A Twi'lek, perhaps?

"I've almost had 'nuff of you, Gibou! If Nym wasn't paying me so well I'd."

"Shut your snout right now before I blow it off!" the other voice interrupted, snarling. "Just shut up and do your job. Try to gain access to the landing ramp before I frag you for 'insubordination'."

Neloi and I both exchanged looks, knowing what each other were thinking. If those two worked for Nym, we had to act fast. I held up my left hand, twitching the held pistol.

"What was that?" the second of the two Nym thugs that were there said in perfect Ryl, affirming my suspicions. The rest of the words exchanged were too hushed for me to make out.

I nodded to Neloi. One...two...three...four!

We were both to our feet in an instant, moving out and away from each other. They spotted Neloi first, but he ducked and rolled beneath their fire, coming up on one knee, blaster ablaze.

I ran toward our assailants, my DE-10s screaming in concert as blue bolts of lethality launched forth, tearing through the body armor that the thugs wore. As soon as the battle has begun, it was over. Neloi and I exchanged smirks; that had been so easy. Neloi glanced over my shoulder, eyes wide as he started to shout.

I dived to the side, rolling up onto my right knee with pistols aimed straight ahead as the body of a third thug collapsed to the ground. I heard a blaster shot, but didn't see where it came from.

Neelaah emerged from behind a few rocks, a deadly look in her eyes as she stared down at the corpse of the thug that nearly got the jump on Neloi and I. She stood there for a moment, and to this day I swear that I have never seen such a sight; showered in the light from the Lok's twin suns, Neelaah stood with a smoking carbine, still dressed in the revealing dancers attire, and somehow making my old nerf-hide jacket look good again. Such a combination of beauty and lethality.

"There were two other thugs over the summit," she said, a cocky smirk springing to her lips. Whatever self-consciousness she felt dissolved in the heat of combat. "We should get off this dust-ball before more of Nym's guys show up."

"Yes..." I said as I holstered my pistols. I looked over at Neloi, who was already punching in the access codes to lower the landing ramp. How in the world did he manage to...never mind, he's a slicer. A damned good one, at that.

Twenty minutes later with the Advent Folly in orbit, I started plotting a hyperspace jump.

"Where are we headed, chief?" Neloi asked from the co-pilot's seat, busying himself with the ship's logs.

"Yeah, where -are- we going?" Neelaah, asked, echoing Neloi's inquiry. She had changed back into her normal garb, and did not possess the frustration that she had with me several days earlier. She leaned against the back of my seat, bracing herself with crossed forearms as she peered over at the display on the navicomputer.

"I'm plotting a course to Dantooine," I said simply, punching in the last string of digits into the navicomputer.

"Kar Averalak?" Neloi asked softly.

"Kar Averalak..." whispered Neelaah from behind me, recognizing the name.

"Kar Averalak," I said in confirmation, pulling back the hyperdrive lever.

As I was about to pry the fried power pack from its housing, I decided to focus more on the task at hand. After a few moments the power pack popped out and fell of the desk, clattering on the table. Cursing softly, I bent over to pick it up, finally taking notice of the female silhouette in the doorway.

"I thought I heard you get up. Can't get to sleep either?" Neelaah said, smiling sleepily at me.


	10. Chapter 10: Neelaah's Journal 5

Neelaah's Journal 5

Neelaah's Journal: Entry 5

He was standing there, bent over to retrieve the fallen power pack from the gun it had fused inside. I stood in the doorway, dressed in a pair of old slacks and a sleeveless top that Neloi had given me. It wasn't much to look at, but it was comfortable enough and suited my purpose.

Rango'tan was still a little startled from my sudden entrance and the simple question I'd asked.

I repeated it again.

"Can't sleep?"

"No," he said, "I'm trying to work."

"I can see." I giggled. If that was what he called work, then he had another thing coming to him. I sat down beside him. "So, Kar Averalak?"

"Yeah," he spat angrily. He was fumbling with the pack and the EE3 carbine, more to busy himself than anything else. Was he as nervous as I was?

"I don't understand what happened there. It must have been something really terrible," I whispered. By the light of the panel above, I could see his face contort into a mixture of grief and resentment. He was on the verge of telling me something, and I had but to prod a little closer to find out what it was.

"You want to tell me, don't you?"

I touched a hand to his face, but he wouldn't look at me.

We hit a bump of some kind, that sent Rango and I plowing across the room, tumbling in a batch of old crates and factory goods. The snoring from the other room stopped abruptly, as Neloi snapped to attention.

"Sorry," he murmured back, still half-asleep and not really knowing what he was talking about, "hit an air pocket...Zzzz.."

The snoring started up again, louder than it was before. Rango'tan had landed beside me, and looked a little dazed after being hit on the head by a crate. I wasn't feeling too good, either.

"Care to help a lady?" I asked, motioning to the random assortment of tools and things that had me trapped. Rango'tan sneered a little playfully.

"Sure. Tell me if you see one."

Ouch. I wormed my way out of the obstacles, trying to set myself in some semblance of order while Rango'tan was brushing himself off. I couldn't figure out why, but for some reason he seemed particularly nasty tonight.

"What's gotten into you?" I finally asked. "You've been acting weird all day."

It must have had something to do with me mentioning Kar Averalak. Maybe Raduah had sent guards down there to slay all the people -- maybe Kar Averalak had once been his childhood home, then been raped and ravaged by the armies of the falleen noble. My mind ran rampant with dozens of ideas of what could have happen, as it was clear I wasn't going to get an answer.

"I just have been feeling a little under the weather lately, I guess," Rango'tan lied, and I knew it. He was simply making excuses not to tell me the real reason. I would find out soon enough, when we had reached Kar Averalak.

Rango'tan busied himself with the pack and carbine. I thought back to the scene on Lok; I had just shot a heavy old Niktu thug who'd tried to get the jump on Rango and Neloi, and he lay dead at my feet. As I stood there, I noticed painfully that Rango'tan was staring at me. I didn't know if it was a reverent stare, or one of disgust. It worried me a little.

"I guess," Rango muttered, as though guessing my thoughts, "I should thank you too."

"Thank me?" I echoed.

"Yeah. Could've gotten pretty ugly back there if you hadn't shot that thug."

"I aim to please," I said with a smile. I took great pride in my kill, and I was glad that he noticed it too.

"Well, there you have it. Thank you," Rango'tan barked gruffly, as though it was such a painful thing for him to do. I had to laugh at that.

"It's okay, you can thank me. I won't let Neloi know. Your reputation is still intact."

He was a little miffed at my making light of his discomfort, but I ignored it.

"Neelaah, I..."

"So do I," I interrupted.

I took his face in both hands and pulled him close, kissing him softly on the mouth. The door slid open and Neloi walked in, looking rather confused.

"Uuuhh...Rango?"

We broke apart almost immediately, a little embarrassed that Neloi had caught us like that. He didn't seem to notice, however, as his face was a mask of apprehension.

"Enemy fighters, I've spotted them!" he said hurriedly. "There's no way around them to Dantooine, they are blocking our way. The only way we have is to go through them!"

A great shudder ran through the hulk of the ship, messing with the power so that the lights flickered and went dead. I took Rango'tan's hand and ran with him and Neloi to the cockpit, where an army of fighters had us surrounded. Dantooine lay just beyond, within our sights. There was no time to think, we had to act fast or it would be over.


	11. Chapter 11: Diary of Rango 6

Diary of Rango - Entry 6

Neelaah and I reached the cockpit first; Neloi only a few paces behind us. I gave Neelaah's hand a squeeze before letting go and dropping down into the pilot's chair, sending the Advent Folly into a dive and roll to avoid a barrage of fire.

"Neloi," I said, my mind racing as I glanced at the tactical display. I didn't like the look of things. "I'm counting a dozen bogies; all Z-95 headhunters."

Getting a quick lock on one of our attackers, I launched a proton torpedo at it, effectively taking it out of the dogfight. I may have caught that fighter by surprise, and I doubt it would work again.

"Neelaah," I said, unable to look away from my screens. "Get up to the dorsal gun well and strap yourself in. I hope you know how to operate a laser turret," I said sincerely, not a hint of derision in my voice.

"On it," said Neelaah, the sound of her pounding feet fading as she made her way to the gun well.

"Sensors are picking up another blip reverting into real space about one thousand kilometers off of our port bough. The ship has some sort of sensor stealth; I cannot get any readings other than the fact that it is there," Neloi added, frowning at the communications console as it began to beep. "We are being hailed."

"Put it through," I said quickly, evaded another stream of laser fire, retaliating with several barrages of my own.

"Advent Folly...," a voice void of any perceivable emotion crackled through the com system. "The leader is mine," the voice continued. "You would do best to give it a wide berth," the voice said with finality.

I glanced over at Neloi who shrugged helplessly at me. Whatever I was going to do, I had to act fast. I reached over to the communications console, activating the mic.

"This is the captain of the Advent Folly, unidentified ship. What do you propose we do," I inquired.

"Distract the group and draw their fire. I will deal with them," the voice said without inflection. Immediately the com was silent.

"You keep them from scratching my ship's paint job," I said to Neloi, getting out of my seat. "And while you are at it, head in the general direction of Dantooine. Maybe someone down there will take notice," I added quickly. With that, I exited the cockpit and raced down the corridor, climbing down the ladder to the belly gun well.

After strapping myself in and putting on the com system headgear, I fired up my targeting computer, allowing myself a grin. Few sane people would admit to flying in a dog fight with only an inch-think bubble of transparisteel between you and deadly laser fire, but nothing could compare to engaging an enemy in combat.

Neloi was doing a good job of dodging laser fire; only a few times did I think I was about to be ripped from my seat. I watch as one of the headhunters was vaporized, mentally nothing that Neelaah had gotten that kill. She had come a long way.

While leading one of my targets, a ship blazed by my turret. Odd, I thought. You don't see Firesprays every day. Must be our mystery man's ship. I didn't have time to dwell on it though; I focused on the task at hand.

WHAM! The Advent Folly was rocked by a hard blast, snapping my restraints and sending me head first into the gun well's bubble. I blacked out for a moment, but the hissing sound of atmosphere leaking out into the cold void brought me to. I sluggishly pulled myself up and climbed up the ladder, the temperature of the compartment dropping like a rock. I slapped a panel to seal off the gun well once I was out, collapsing onto the floor.

"Rango!" Neelaah screamed as she unfastened her restraints and raced down the ladder. I gazed up at her through blurred vision, seeing the scared, horrified look on her face. "Neloi!" she shouted, yelling into a com link. "We need to get Rango to the med bay fast!" he continued. Neloi responded, but I could not hear it. My eyes rolled into the back of my head as I faded into unconsciousness.

----------

"You took quite a hit in the head, buddy," Neloi said to me, patting my shoulder. I had been out of the bacta tank now for a few hours and was steadily regaining my strength. I sat and listened as Neloi filled me in on what happened.

The Advent Folly had been hit with a concussion missile, which tore through our shields and impacted right beside the belly gun well. Just as that happened, Neloi watched the sensors in amazement as the unidentified ship systematically disabled and took out the enemy fighters. To this day, Neloi swears to me that he has never seen such cold efficiency. The stranger disappeared as suddenly as he showed up after docking with one of the headhunters.

Neloi set the Advent folly on autopilot and helped Neelaah get me to my ship's medical bay. When I was stabilized, Neloi returned to the cockpit and nursed the ship down to the surface of Dantooine. He set the ship down at the small starport at Kar Averalak. I was quickly rushed to the medical facility there and dunked into a bacta tank. That was two days ago.

"It feels like there are a dozen Ewoks in there having a party," I mumbled, raising a hand to rub the side of my head. Neloi chuckled softly.

"A concussion will do that to a fellow. The painkillers the med droid injected you with should be kicking in soon," Neloi said, sitting down in the chair beside my bed.

"And the ship?" I asked.

"Getting repaired as we speak. Actually, Neelaah should be back here any minute; she went to check up on everything."

Just like clockwork, Neelaah strode in at that moment. I still remember the look of relief on her face when she saw me sitting on my bed, out of the bacta tank. She walked over and wrapped her arms around me in a hug that would do a Wookiee justice.

"Emperor's bones," she whispered. "You scared me."

"It'll take more than a concussion missile to put me out," I said light-headedly, returning the embrace. Neelaah pulled back and kissed me quickly on the lips, then stepped back so that we could all talk. I gazed at Neelaah for a few moments, a mixture of feelings busying in my heart.

We decided then and there that we were do for some well-earned ground time. Neloi went off to the starport, and Neelaah stayed with me. When I was ready, I got dressed into clothes that she had brought for me, and we emerged from the medical facility into a large, worn encampment. Kar Averalak was once a prospering rural city that exported minerals and metal ores. As we walked between ruins and houses, I gave Neelaah the explanation that I owed her.

"Raduah wanted to take this city over and incorporate the mining operations here into his own enterprises," I said as I guided Neelaah through the ruined city. "When the citizens mounted a resistance, he struck back, and hard."

Buildings were leveled and peoples' lives were destroyed. While many escaped, many more died in the genocide that would follow. Men gave their lives in the defense of the women and children, but that defense was not enough. Hundreds of people were the victims of wholesale slaughter.

"I grew up here. My mother and father were farmers," I added, falling silent. I led Neelaah out just outside of the city limits, a large graveyard coming into view. I turned to Neelaah and asked if she could give me a minute. She nodded, telling me that she understood completely. With grim purpose I made my way to a large headstone, lowering myself down onto my haunches.

"Raduah is dead; I killed him with my own hands," I said out loud. Neelaah may have still been within earshot of hearing me. "While it did not give me the peace I was searching for, perhaps you will now be able to rest easier knowing that your murderer is dead," I continued, lowering my head and squinting my eyes shut as my eyes suddenly welled with tears. Neelaah must have taken notice to this and it wasn't long before she was at my side, squatting down beside me.

"Juno Tan and Kaus Tan," she read aloud, gasping quietly as understanding hit her. "Oh Rango, your parents!" she said as she placed a hand on my shoulder. We stood up together and embraced on that hill on a chilly autumn day on Dantooine.


	12. Chapter 12: Neelaah's Journal 6

Neelaah's Journal: Entry 6

Juno Tan and Kaus Tan had been dead for over ten years. Rango'tan held me, looking out over the massive graveyard, a vacant reminder of painful past memories. I wanted to say something to quell his sadness, but my own tongue was tied. I felt moved to tears; for the first time, it seemed, Rango'tan was human. Raduah had rightly deserved just what he'd gotten, to inflict such pain and misery not only on him, but all the inhabitants of Kar Averalak. Walking through here was like walking through a living graveyard, desecrating the ghosts of the past.

I touched a hand to his shoulder, imploring him to turn around. It was cold out, being autumn, and the sun was setting early.

"Come, Rango. Let's leave. There's nothing for you here now."

He yielded to my insistence, letting me drag him by the arm through the empty streets of the city, looking for some place to book a room for him, myself and Neloi, while the proper repairs were made to the Advent Folly. It had taken quite a beating, and would've been disintegrated if not for the unidentified stranger. Somehow, I felt I had heard his voice before, as the raspy sound of static fluttered over the comlink. That was then, though, and this was now, and it was no use in dwelling on the past.

The Wailing Bantha was the closest cantina to the city center. The streets, while unoccupied, were barely similar to the cantina, which was bustling with people, mostly outlanders seeking some shelter while in transit. I noticed, with incredulity, that hardly any of the cantina's occupants actually came from Kar Averalak. Most of them were from Theed, or Bestine, on their way to deliver cargo or to pick up bounties that nobody was supposed to know about, but everyone talked about.

I interlaced my arm with Rango's as we took a seat by the bar, watching several twi'lek women perform to the fanfare of a loud jizz-wailer band. It was a sound akin to the Max Rebo band, which played nightly in Jabba's Palace. Hardly anyone looked at us as we sat down; we were not at all out of place in a room of strangers. If it had been Mos Eisley, on the other hand, we possibly would have had an unpleasant run-in with one of the locals, out for a fight.

Rango'tan ordered us two drinks to nurse throughout the night, though I barely touched mine. It was more for show than anything else. Neloi joined us shortly after, covering his ears as he was hit with a barrage of music. He seated himself at the table and pitched his voice low to be sure nobody was listening to our conversation. He even checked for bugs a few times, which I supposed was prudent. Aliens had a habit of nosing around where they didn't belong, then leaking vital information into the wrong hands. The last thing we needed now was another setback, which could possibly turn into a fatal encounter. The Advent Folly had been this close to being destroyed; what would it be next time?

"Where are we going to next?" I asked.

"Rango's not going anywhere until he's fully healed," Neloi interjected, sticking up for his friend. Rango'tan waved him away nonchalantly.

"Nonsense. I'm fine. Anymore bacta and I'll be worse off than when I came in."

I chuckled a little at the attempted joke, which fell flat on Neloi. His eyes darted furtively from side to side.

"For now we have some ground time, I've paid a good mechanic with our spoils to repair the Advent Folly," Neloi explained, sipping at his drink. I took one drink of the nauseating green liquid and spit it out; it tasted like bile, or worse. What was to be expected, when the bar patron was a Rodian? They had stronger stomachs, anyway. I tipped the drink over and let it spill onto the ground, without anyone else seeing.

"Well I got two rooms for tonight," Neloi said, dropping a few coins onto the table for a tip. "We're lucky too, the place was almost all booked up."

"No room at the inn?" I asked, smirking. Neloi nodded.

"Nearly. We need to watch our step around here. These crowds can get pretty rough. And if any of Raduah's supporters are sticking around, chances are it'll get ugly...fast."

"He's right," Rango'tan agreed, clasping his drink until his knuckles turned white. "Nobody comes or goes without my permission. We should keep an eye out for spies; they're known to lurk around places like this. The next few days we are here, we're going to have to watch ourselves."

"Agreed," I said.

The thought crossed my mind, that since our escape from Raduah's stronghold, my debt had been formally repaid. Why, then, had I stuck around with both Rango'tan and Neloi afterwards? Why was I still here, sitting at the table with them? Was it the spoils, the good amount of credits we were sure to bring in? Something told me it wasn't, but I ignored that something.

The rooms were small, dingy, and poorly lit. There was a window, but Rango'tan ordered me immediately to draw the blinds closed. It was like being in a lockdown, but worse; I couldn't even look out to the lush hillside and beauty of the Dantooine wilderness to occupy my time.

A small door adjoined the two rooms, so that I could come and go as I pleased, so Neloi kept them propped open at night in case there was a real emergency, and I wasn't able to reach my blaster in time. I slept with it beneath my pillow, for fear of anything else.

The next day we woke and went to the bay where the Advent Folly was docked, watching a silly-looking reptilian mechanic lift his visor to talk with Neloi and negotiate over a price. The Advent Folly was sorely damaged, and it pained Rango'tan to see it in such disrepair. I consoled him as best I could, but he merely shrugged me off in order to go sulk alone.

As he moved aside into a small alcove that afforded us both some privacy, he put a hand to my cheek.

"I don't know...it's just depressing seeing her like that. She's all broken, and I can't help but feel some of it is my fault."

"Rango, relax," I responded, "it's a ship, she'll live. It's you I'm worried about."

"Me?" he echoed.

"Yes, you've been despondent the whole time we've been here."

I supposed it was the memories of his childhood, of having to live out every day as a constant reminder of the genocide that had happened so very long ago. At least now he had some sense of closure, with Raduah's death. Perhaps it wasn't enough to sate him.

"Being here just...changes things," he explained. "I thought that coming back would..."

"Make them alive again?" I offered. I felt sorry the minute I had said it, but continued anyway. "Rango, you can't change the past. All you can do is move forever forward. You are mired in one spot. How can I help?"

"By not giving me advice," he joked, but I could tell that he was a little annoyed. He was playing with a wrench in his one hand, that he had swiped from some nearby crate.

Suddenly, without warning, I felt the barrel of a blaster jammed into my back.

"Arms up where I can see them," the emotionless voice growled. "Both of you."

Rango'tan and I both complied.

"Now, turn around slowly."

We did as he said, and opened our eyes in disbelief. There he was, like a ghost from the past.


	13. Chapter 13: Diary of Rango 7

Diary of Rango - Entry 7

I stared into the narrow T-shaped visor, memories and legends flashing through my mind as I tried to comprehend what was going on. I kept the wrench I was toying with earlier clenched in my right fist, turning it at such an angle as to conceal it. I noticed that Neloi had disappeared, but I knew that he was still somewhere nearby.

There he was, the man of legend, the most infamous and deadly bounty hunter in the galaxy. He wore the distinct battle armor of the Mandalorian Warriors; a mercenary group that was before my time, one that the Jedi Knights had helped destroy. Though his armor had seen better days, he wore every scar and pit mark on his gear like trophies. His very presence reeked of competence and a carefully contained lethality. This was a barve that I did not want to get involved with, but sometimes situations could get out of one's control.

"What do you want?" I asked carefully, my mind racing as I tried to think of an escape plan. I had a good idea what he was here for. Neelaah let out a soft gasp, as if she recognized the bounty hunter.

"I'm here to collect a bounty," Boba Fett said in response, his EE3 carbine aimed right at my chest. I could have sworn I heard a slight tone of amusement in his flat voice. He glanced at Neelaah for a moment, his head moving in a slight nod before his shielded gaze returned to me.

"Indeed..." I said, evenly, trying not to let my dying spirits show through. "So Raduah's brother got around to placing a bounty, eh?" I inquired, already knowing the answer. I said out loud to let Neelaah have a listen.

"Indeed," Fett responded, pushing the muzzle of his carbine into my stomach. "Disarm yourself or I will be forced to do it myself. I'm not known for being gentle..." the bounty hunter managed to get out before the roar of a crowd could be heard from someplace near the docking bay. Boba Fett's gazed left me for a fraction of a second.

My right arm moved blurringly fast, raising the wrench in a mighty uppercut that caught Fett below his chin, sending him sprawling. I grabbed Neelaah and rushed us over to a stack of crates, diving behind them.

"What the hell is all of this about?" she exclaimed. Unfastening the blaster from her holster after she wriggled her way out of my grasp.

"The hunter has become the hunted," I said, tasting the bitter irony of it all. I likewise unfastened my blaster holster and pulled out a DE-10. I moved to a kneeling position and didn't have enough time to scan the area before I was forced to duck under one of Fett's blaster blots. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Give me cover fire," I said, unfastening the holster on my left thigh, producing my other DE-10.

"What?" she said, looking at me like I was some dumb moisture farmer. "You do realize who that is right?"

I nodded, not letting my fear show through. "Yes, but he is not getting me without a fight," I said, looking to her.

Neelaah grabbed the collar of my shirt and tugged me over, planting a quick kiss on my lips. "For luck," she said with a wink. I nodded to her with a lopsided smile.

"One."

"Two."

"Three!" she said, rising up to her knees and laying a suppressive fire and as I stood up and send out a fan of blaster fire of my own, forcing Boba Fett back to take cover near the entrance. Strange how he was being so silent.

At that moment Neloi moved from behind a slogged binary load-lifter, blaster trained on Fett and finger on the firing stud. Much to my dismay, Fett ducked and charged beneath Neloi's fire before the butt end of Fett's carbine caught him in the solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him in an audible huff. A swing with the carbine to the side of the head knocked Neloi out cold, putting him out of the fight.

"Sith spawn," I spat, diving and rolling beneath a volley of Fett's fire, the heat of the shots on my back. Neelaah stood and fired as she ran to another stack of crates. I did the same, our shared idea to get Fett caught in crossfire.

I heard a shriek and a thud from where Neelaah was, catching the sight of an obviously rigged R4 droid unit with an affixed stun blaster. A double-blast from my DE-10s slogged it, but that was what got me.

In that moment Fett was behind me, a punch in the stomach doubling me over and sending me staggering, causing me to drop one of my pistols. A roundhouse kick to my right hand sent my other weapon scattering away, and a punch to the side of the head gave me double vision.

With my head pounding from the impact of a fist on a fractured skull, I felt nauseous, but was not about to give up. As Fett closed in, I caught him in the midsection with my shoulder, my lips sealed against a flowing of bile as I instepped with my right foot, sweeping Fett clean off of his feet.

Unable to contain myself, a dropped to all fours and vomited my guts out, my head feeling as if a start was going super nova in it. I was in no condition to be fighting.

A sudden stun bolt from Fett put me out cold.

----------

I slowly drifted back into semi-consciousness, leaving me only vaguely aware of my surroundings. I was strapped to a low-laying cot, and I was aware of a pain killer/sedative patch stuck to my right thigh. My gaze drifted and I could see the cold steal of bars. A cage, I thought.

I could hear the hum of the ship I was on, the clangs, and the hissing of the machinery aboard. As I gazed around, I couldn't make out anything in the way of decoration; everything was bare-stripped metal, every space that I could seemed to be optimally used. It's cold, I thought, but somehow I knew that it had nothing to do with the temperature.

My thoughts drifted to Neloi and Neelaah, my heart suddenly aching as I realized that I did not know of what had become of them. I swear by my father and mother, I vowed, if he killed them, I spend every credit, go to the ends of the galaxy and pay him back...

The ship suddenly lurched as it reverted back to real-space, making me feel sick to my stomach again. I tried to fight the blackness that was threatening to drag me back into unconsciousness, but I didn't have much fight let in me.

----------

"Hey, I think he's waking up," an unfamiliar voice said.

"About time," a gruff, reptilian voice said in Dosh.

My eyes slowly fluttered open, though all I could see at first were blurs. After was seemed an eternity, I tried to sit up on the metal bunk, and found that supporting hands helped me up. As I gazed around, I discovered that I was in a crude prison cell with two other beings.

"The guards said that you were out cold for three days in sickbay," the first of the two I had heard said. His long, gray hair was done in thing braids which were held back in a ponytail. He was solidly built, and maybe a decade or so older than I was, and human. "Apparently you had a concussion, which they treated you for," he added. The other figure, which happened to be a Trandoshan, chuckled darkly from the other side of the cage.

I frowned at him. "Treated me?" I asked, the confusion compelling me to focus, bringing me out of my daze.

"Yeah, sounds crazy," the human said to me, an ironic smile on his lips. "To make a long story short, Klathuka has decided to make a public spectacle of us; something involving an arena, crude weapons, and a rancor. If you were still suffering from your concussion, you wouldn't last very long. Wouldn't be very satisfying for Klathuka," he said.

"Oh, of course," I said sarcastically, letting out a sigh. I leaned back against the cold stone wall. After a moment I leaned forward and offered the human my hand. 'I'm Rango. With what we have in store, we might as well be on the same team," I said.

"I'm Okodro," he said, gripping my offered hand and giving it a firm shake. "The cranky lizard is Aovih," he said with a chuckle, letting go of my hand. "I was running a small medical practice in Klathuka's territory here on Talus. I resisted when he tried to take it over, burnt it down to the ground so he couldn't get it," Okodro continued, a note of regret in his voice. "Klathuka didn't take to kindly to that, so he took me captive."

I nodded slowly, gaze drifting to the Trandoshan. "What's your story?" I asked Aovih.

"I owe Klathuka money," Aovih responded with a snarl. He shook his head, rising and moving over to sit with Okodro and I. "I couldn't pay by his deadline, so I was hunted," he added, gazing at me intensely. "And you?"

"I killed his brother," I said, which brought a surprised expression from Okodro and laughter from Aovih.

"You're a dead man!" Aovih barked in jest.

I laughed softly. "Yeah, well I'm not dead yet, and neither are you two," I said, suddenly thinking of Neloi and Neelaah again, my smile dying, expression hardening as I felt anger beginning to simmer at the core of my being. I hoped that they were still alive.

"Neelaah," I whispered.

"What was that?" said Okodro.

"Thinking of someone," I muttered. It was then I realized how much I truly cared for Neelaah, and how much I wished to see her again. I shook my head, clearing my mind of every to focus on the situation at hand. "If we are going to get out of this, we will need a plan."

The three of us sat in the dimly lit, dank cell, figuring out a way that we might survive.


	14. Chapter 14: Neelaah's Journal 7

Neelaah's Journal: Entry 7

The memory haunted me; the t-shaped visor glaring menacingly in my direction, acknowledging my presence with a firm, assertive nod of recognition. I knew him, and had a host of other memories I didn't want to even begin to recall. Of Kud'ar Mub'at, Bossk, the breakup of the Bounty Hunters Guild, and Fett. Fett, whom, after escaping the Huttese crime lord's palace, I had rescued when the sarlaac spit him up. Fett, who had returned me afterwards to Kuat, as princess Kateel of Kuhlvult, my marred memory restored to me like a long-lost friend. It was then that I'd left, a stranger to my own family, and gone out on my own to make a trade of something I'd learned while around Fett and Dengar: bounty hunting. It was enough to make ends meet in a world that held little promise for me.

I looked all around to survey my surroundings. I was in the cockpit of Slave I, a place I never thought I'd see again. The door to the cockpit was sealed, barring entry to the cargo hold and the lower level.

Fett's gloved hands worked the knobs and levers on the navicomputer, spinning around his chair to help his hands move faster. He was coldly efficient, mechanical, almost inhuman; but I had already known that.

"Where are you taking me?" I demanded.

He didn't respond at first, but I hadn't expected him to. Boba Fett took his time with words, if he liked to mix with them at all, which he usually didn't. And he was one barve I didn't want to mix with. I felt ill equipped for whatever he would throw at me.

"That is none of your business," the cold voice said mechanically.

"Where is Neloi?"

Silence filled the cockpit, signaling to me that Fett had finished speaking. He used words sparingly, almost as if he didn't know how.

"And Rango?"

I was growing tired of my pointless pursuit. Fett didn't care whether they lived or died, so there was no use asking. I tried to work my binds, but it was useless. At least they weren't energy links, I thought with relief.

I sat, shivering in the corner, hating myself and moreover, hating Fett for capturing us. He tossed me a crude blanket, making motion to cover myself.

"I want Klathuka's merchandise to be in the best of condition. He has other amusements planned for you when you arrive."

I wonder what amusements he meant, but I was sure it couldn't be pleasant. Raduah's brother, also a falleen, would be out for blood; Falleens were known to hold grudges for a long time. I wondered bitterly if Rango and Neloi were even alive now, and where they were. I had grown accustomed to having them around, even if we weren't serious all the time.

"You can sit here if you like, or not - I don't care," Fett said. The seat beside him was empty, so I slid my weight into it, thankful at least to be off the cold floor. Fett knew I was too smart to try anything, so there was no use in keeping me on a cold floor like all the rest of his prisoners.

I looked out of the transparisteel viewport into miles of black space. Some freighters whizzed by, but apart from that, there was nothing particularly intriguing about the view. I glanced passingly at the braided Wookiee scalps adorning Fett's right shoulder, wondering what kind of amusement lay in store for me.

"So," I said, trying to make conversation, tapping my fingers against the control panel. Fett wasn't in the habit of talking, or humoring those who did, so I shut up when he ominously turned his t-shaped visor toward me.

"I suppose there's no use in begging for my life then. Just another piece of merchandise."

"Ye..."

Fett's reply was broken up by the sound of static filtering in on his comlink.

"...Sssstolen my merchandise again Fett?" a reptilian voice hissed over the link. His finger flickered over the receiver.

"I'm taking what's mine," he said flatly, "and I suggest you don't get in the way, Bossk."

The Trandoshan cursed and the transmission was lost as Fett pressed a single red button. His patience was wearing visibly thin from talking to such a disagreeable creature as Bossk, who had forever hungered for the status and reputation Fett had long enjoyed.

The ship was much smaller than some I had ridden in, built more for comfort and efficiency rather than luxury. Like most things, it suited Fett's purposes. I admired and was somewhat sickened by the cleanliness of Fett's surroundings; to everything its place, and Fett kept it that way. The floors were mopped up religiously, the lighting low and sterile, like the medical ward of a hangar. All he needed was a cold white table in the middle of the room and some sharp instruments for poking and prodding, and my fear would have been complete.

The ship was rocked by a great explosion, which lit the sky up bright orange, then fizzled into small fumes that fed through the exhaust pipes. Fett pushed some buttons on the control panel, lifting a large lever to make the jump to hyperspace. The space around us went from black to deep blue, as the stars whizzed by through the viewport. I clutched at the chair, feeling the pressure exert itself over my head as I closed my eyes. I never liked traveling in hyperspace, but it was better than being fried alive by Bossk.

As Fett came out of hyperspace, he veered precariously close to the planet Rori. It was one of three small moons that orbited Naboo, comprised of a ranging degree of plant life that was fed by hard rains.

Fett was busy arguing for clearance over the comlink with a uniquely reptilian voice with a Ryl dialect.

"What's your access code?"

As he was arguing, I took it as my opportunity to look back at the sealed door. There were voices coming from there - maybe four, or five, if my ears weren't deceiving me - two human, and three reptilian, perhaps? I listened closely, but my concentration was broken by the blaring of the voice over Fett's comlink. He again broke the transmission by pushing a single red button.

After gaining clearance, Fett steered the Slave I close toward Rori, prepared to make the descent. When we had landed in the bay, Fett stood up from his chair to leave.

Rain lashed against the roof of the Slave I, pattering away down the viewport. It was another bleary, miserable day in Rori, I thought bitterly. Fett warned me to stay where I was while he was gone. He had put a locking system on the Slave I, wired to a small transmitter he kept which would alert him to anyone entering or exiting the ship. I watched him walk across the ground headed toward the small cantina across the street, his cape buffeted by the heavy winds. He carried in his hands an EE-8 Carbine, ready for action.

I stood from my seat and bustled over toward the sealed door, pushing my ear against it. I used both my hands to knock, sending a ringing note that reverberated throughout the hulk of the ship. The voices descended to silence; they probably thought I was Fett.

"Hello in there?" I whispered.

"Neelaah, is that you?" a familiar voice chimed in.

"Rango!"

A pound came against the door. He was desperately trying to beat it down, to no avail. A few other voices rose in unison, none of which I recognized.

"Is Neloi with you?" I shot back at him.

"No. Open this door, let us out!"

"I can't!" I griped. "Fett has it all rigged; if I touch anything, he'll know for sure!"

"Damnit Neelaah, just open it up, we'll deal with him later!" Rango'tan cursed. I ignored the frustration in his voice.

"I can't, it's pointless!"

I kept one eye on the door and one eye on the viewport, for any sign that Fett was returning to the ship. He was probably collecting the bounty on us right now from Klathuka, and then would return to hand us over to the falleen crime lord. I shivered to think of what would transpire shortly after.

"You can't just leave us here!" another voice said harshly. It too sounded reptilian.

"Who is that?" I whispered.

"Neelaah, Aovih. Aovih, Neelaah," Rango'tan joking introduced us through the door. "Now will you get us out of here?"

My eyes darted all around the cockpit for something - anything - that would get us out of this fix. My eye caught something drifting toward the ship - Fett! - and I lodged myself back into my seat, signaling to the others to be quiet.

"He's coming!"

The door blew open and in walked the bounty hunter, soaking wet and covered in grime. He laid down his carbine on the control panel and slammed the door shut with a quick kick of his leg. I pretended like I hadn't noticed.

Fett leaned over and picked up a small knife he kept handy, and for a moment I thought he would try and menace me with it. He simply slid it between my wrists, breaking the binds.

"Klathuka is coming to collect you himself. He wants to look into the faces of the people who killed his brother," Fett said coldly. He lifted a latch to release the sealed door, and it slid open with a clang. Fett walked in with the keys to the small cage he kept for most of his merchandise, unlocking the three men crammed inside it.

One was a human, taller and a little older than me; the other was a Trandoshan. So, I wasn't far off, I thought to myself. And then, Rango'tan emerged from the hold, looking bitter. Fett took them by the collar, throwing them into the cockpit where they landed with a bump. He pointed his t-shaped visor in the direction of Rango'tan, acknowledging him as the leader.

"Klathuka is especially pleased to see you. You were the one who killed Raduah."

"So I did."

Fett nodded, almost commending him. I thought it was strange, but then, I had seen many strange things since banding with Rango and Neloi.

"You wait here. And don't try anything stupid," Fett warned him, turning his back to the control panel for a moment to adjust some of his settings and punch new digits into the navicomputer. I supposed it was new coordinates, for wherever he was headed next. Fett shielded my vision with his shoulder, so I couldn't see where; it was just as well, he was a very mysterious man.

Rango'tan lodged himself at Fett from behind, bringing his arm around his neck, wringing it up tight so that Fett was rendered powerless for a moment. Fett doubled his efforts, grabbing Rango by the arms and twisting him around so he hit the ground hard. When Rango came to, Fett had the barrel of a carbine jammed in his face.

"That was a very stupid thing to do."

"Kill me then!" Rango taunted him, baring his sharp white teeth. Fett stood still for several moments, before holstering his blaster.

"You're no good to me dead."

Klathuka entered the Slave I without preamble, only after Fett had released the locking mechanism. Several Gamorrean guards, armed with collars and shackles, came in and bound us tight, leading us through mud and rains to the slave-hold in a complex adjacent to the palace. When they had secured us there, all in one cell together, Klathuka backhanded Rango'tan hard. He fell to the ground with a thump, crumpling in my arms. I held him close to me, stroking his face, as I watched the bloated form of Klathuka slink away with Boba Fett at his side.

"Now, Fett, let's negotiate a price for your bounty."

Fett trained his lasers on him and balanced his thumb on the trigger.

"No games, Klathuka. I expect the full amount of credits."

Klathuka laughed nervously, clearly afraid of the bounty hunter at the same time as he was awed by him. As soon as they had left, I kissed Rango on the cheek.

"Rango! How are you feeling?"

He came to, looking a little bit dizzied.

"I feel terrible."

"There, there. It'll be okay now."

I held him close in my lap, stroking his face as Okodro Mevi leant over him, touching a healing hand to his chest.

"Stand back," he warned me, "or this won't work."

I did as he commanded, watching Okodro summon a great force that entered Rango's body. He took a sharp breath in, jarred by the spell Okodro had conjured. Rango sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"What happened?"

I smiled at Okodro, thanking him. He seemed kind and accompanied my smile with a laugh. Aovih the Trandoshan was sulking in the corner, grabbing the bars with both his claws, trying to bend them apart and form a space for us to steal out of.

"It won't work," I said tiredly, "Klathuka has seen to that."

"Sssssith spawn," Aovih hissed, his eyes glowing red. He was tall and imposing, and I knew I didn't want to cross him - especially when he was mad. Trandoshans, like Wookiees, had a habit of pulling peoples' arms out of their sockets.

"Well, there must be something we can do," Okodro suggested.

"Like what?"

"What if we were to create a diversion?" he continued. "Get the guards in here to open up the cell."

"You think Klathuka is so lax on his security?" Rango spat, annoyed.

We spent the night in dismay, pitching around ideas for a rescue, but none of them seemed quite right. Time was wearing thin, though; tomorrow was the day of the games in the Arena, when Klathuka would use us for his own amusement. Rango didn't seem entirely too excited about that, with the poor shape he was in.

Mid-way through the night, a Gamorrean guard came in to get me, unlocking my binds and forcing me up a long flight of stairs with his spear prodding me in the back. As I rounded the corner the Gamorrean snorted, a wad of spittle forming in the corners of his mouth. He narrowed his eyes at me, snorting for me to move forward, and fast.

I entered the room where Klathuka was waiting. He was dressed in some sort of night attire, with a little sleeping cap on his head, and his violet eyes raged with fury when he saw me. He dismissed the young girls he had been cavorting with, who ran giggling from the room.

"So, you are the one who killed my brother?" he said with displeasure.

"Yes."

"But you held the knife?" he wondered out loud. I stood very still as he descended the dais where his bed was mounted, and walked down to circle me like a vulture.

"No," I told him truthfully.

"It was because of you he died," he said scathingly, letting his hand run up my arm, then close around my neck, cutting off my air supply. I choked a little, my eyes bulging.

Klathuka laughed lowly.

"Yes. Yes, you don't like that, do you?"

He released me, so that I fell to the ground, grasping with one hand at my throat. I choked a little, feeling queasy enough to vomit up the slops Fett had thrown at us to eat. I was sad I hadn't found a way to kill myself while in Fett's care, but somehow my pride forbade it.

"Never matter, tomorrow you will get your dues. All of you! You will fight in the Rancor lair, but I doubt at all that you will live."

The Gamorrean conducted me back to the cell with the same amount of civility he had in bringing me there - barely any. As he threw me into the cell and I landed at the base of Rango's feet, three faces leaned over me, all looking down.

"What did he say?"

"Will he release us?" Okodro wondered.

"Yeah, right," I joked sarcastically. "He's going to use us in the Arena tomorrow. We're lucky if we ever survive this. You've heard of the famed games of Klathuka, of course."

"Yessss, we all have," Aovih hissed.

"Well, then you know we don't stand a chance," I spat.

The Arena was bustling with all sorts of alien life; locals who had filtered in to see the spectacle and be amused by the show Klathuka put on every year. We were kept all together underground, beneath the rows of stadium seats that overlooked the ring, where the slaves worked and lived. We were brought into the room and given our pick of armor. It was all crude and worth next to nothing, but it was better than nothing. I selected a small spear out of a row of weapons that balanced against the wall. Rango took a polearm, an inexpensive vibro-ax, much like the kind Jabba's fearsome skiff guards had employed back on Tatooine. Okodro Mevi and Aovih Eenic armed themselves with simple one-handed swords, which looked blunt at the edges.

The cheering was almost deafening, even from where we were. We watched through the latticed gate as Klathuka mounted the speaker's pedestal and raised his hands to the cheering crowd, who threw flowers at him.

"Citizens, I welcome you. Do you wish to see some sport?" he cried. His cry was met with a chorus of cheers from the crowd.

"Do you wish to see some danger?" Klathuka continued, lifting his voice high above the parapets. The crowd again crowed their assent.

"And perhaps even some death?" he questioned them with an ironic smile. The crowd shouted louder than before, their cries reaching a fevered pitch.

Klathuka waved a flag in the air to signal the start of the games. I kissed Rango'tan quickly on the lips, gazing deep into his eyes.

"For luck," I explained, and he granted me a smile.

I stood back, feeling my heart palpitate as the latticed gate slipped easily upward and we were pushed out into the arena by Gamorrean guards. The sunlight was blinding - which was unusual for a day in Rori - so I shielded my eyes with my one free hand as we walked out. Aovih didn't seem at all nervous, and neither did Okodro; Rango, on the other hand, looked white as a ghost. If only he had known how I felt...

Once we were all herded like animals into the ring, Klathuka gave another signal to the guards to open the gate behind which lay the Rancor, one of the fiercest creatures this side of the galaxy. I trembled in my boots as I saw the gate creaking open, the beady eyes glaring out at us like chew-toys. Aovih was behind me, whispering.

"I'll back you up."

I smiled.

"You can be my wingman anytime."

The Rancor ambled out into the ring, claws drawn and raised, opening its toothy mouth to emit an ear-piercing scream. It centered its eyes on us, moving quickly forward as in anticipation of today's lunch. We scattered about the arena, though Aovih followed along to cover me. The Rancor lunged first at Rango, causing him to duck and roll away from a near-hit. Okodro took his sword by the cuff and dashed it into the stomach of the beast, so that it fell, momentarily disabled. Rango took it as his opportunity to run up behind the creature, mounting its back to climb up toward its neck.

"What in the emperor's name is he doing?" I spat. Aovih, too, seemed a little startled, and stood slack-jawed, watching Rango's little conquest.

"I don't know..."

Rango, meanwhile, sat beneath the Rancor's neck, being thrown all around in an effort to shake him off. He held on tight, though, hoping to ride the creature back into the cell from whence it had come. Okodro ran up to the creature's foot, slipping mistakenly, letting the sword fall out of his hands and pierce the beast in the leg. The Rancor screeched, shaking itself free of Rango so that he landed somewhere on the soft pillowing of sand. I ran up and held my spear raised, then aimed while Okodro was distracting it, throwing it into its breast so that it was pierced in the heart.

Aovih came up beside me, hacking a gash through the leg of the animal, so it fell to the ground with a great shudder. We cleared the way so none of us would get trapped under the weight and enormity of it. I went immediately to Rango's side to see if he was okay.

Klathuka screeched in horror. The whole Arena was silent, after buzzing for some time with the whispers of the crowd. Klathuka raised himself up on the pedestal, pointing an accusatory finger down at us.

"Kill them!"

"I don't think so..." came a voice from behind him.

"Wha...?"

Klathuka didn't have time to finish as the blow cuffed him straight across the nose, knocking him down.

"Neloi!" I cried with glee. Neloi didn't wave to us, as he was busy taking out Klathuka. He punched a number of digits into a small device he was holding, and immediately a chopping sound descended on the Arena. Several of the crowd members fled, too scared to do anything else.

We all looked up, amazed; there was the Advent Folly, slowly descending into the Arena. We watched it land, the small staircase unfolding to permit us entry, then ran for it.

Neloi, meanwhile, had strapped a conspicuous-looking jetpack to his back, and launched down from the higher levels of the stadium into the middle of the ring, where he landed beside me.

"What a show, Neloi! It's what Klathuka wanted," I quipped, taking him by the arm and running into the holding facility of the Advent Folly. "Say...where'd you get that jetpack anyway?"

"I have my secrets," Neloi said teasingly. He obviously wasn't going to tell me, and he was delighting too much in my curiosity. It was difficult to come across a jetpack; even Fett had to build his own, so I wondered how, and where Neloi would have the time and credits to get one.

"I want their heads!" I heard Klathuka screaming as Neloi pushed a button to secure the doors for takeoff.

"We better get out of here, fast!" I told him, pulling Rango into a room he had designed for medical purposes. Here, we would be able to give him treatment while the Advent Folly was set on her course. I held Rango'tan balanced against me, and was concerned. He looked even worse than last time, from the fall he had taken. Maybe Okodro's heals wouldn't be nearly enough, this time; I blocked that thought out. I couldn't lose Rango, not now, not like this.

Neloi took his seat in the cockpit, with Aovih his co-pilot, and punched in the coordinates to the navicomputer that sent us spinning into space.


	15. Chapter 15: Diary of Rango 8

Diary of Rango - Entry 8

What is perception? What is reality? Is there more to existence than what we can see with our naked eyes? What defines what we perceive is being real? Is reality something we can touch, taste, and feel? Is reality something that we see or hear? What defines your reality? What defined mine?

I often thought about the reality of my life. The "why" behind my parents being killed, the "why" behind living in the fringe, and the "why" of becoming a bounty hunter. What if everything in life happens to make us what we are now to face what is to come? What if those things didn't happen? Would we still be capable of handling the future?

What about heart ache, unrequited love, or even the death of a loved one? Are these things random, tragic happenings, or do these hurts serve a more significant purpose?

What is my perception of what is real?

What is the "reality" in my reality?

What am I?

----------

I dreamed of many things. I dreamed of the farm I grew up on, old friends, the death of my parents. I dreamed of the fringe, of seedy cantinas, nasty swoop gangs, dark alleyways waiting to swallow the hopes and dreams of any passersby.

These scenes were skewed. Different. Broken, fragmented. The farm was barren, looking more like a graveyard than the fertile, fruit-bearing land that I had known. My friends were distant and melancholy, unlike the lively, friendly bunch that I knew.

And my parents. I don't want to go there.

It seemed that all of my deepest, most secret fears and insecurities were being turned on me. Something was trying to break me.

----------

There were times that I was aware of my surroundings. Sometimes I would drift back to consciousness to catch glimpses of the medical bay on the Advent Folly. Sometimes I would awake alone. Sometimes I would awake with company.

Sometimes I would hear voices.

----------

"How is he?" an angel asked.

"Well, his skull is healing. The sedative I gave him will keep him out until he is stable enough to get up. Any more trauma to his head and there could be complications," a doctor responded.

"I'm here Rango," whispered the angel, taking my hand.

----------

"Why do we run?" a warrior snarled. "Honor demands we stand our ground!"

"Stand our ground and get raped?" said a scoundrel. "I'd rather stay in hyperspace where it's safe."

----------

"You're fortunate the Force is aware of you," intoned the doctor as he checked my vital signs. "There are some who would be dead by now."

----------

"Hey buddy, the ship is running smoothly. We plotted a course to the edge to the Nal Hutta system. I've got some contacts on Nar Shaddaa lined up to help us sort out the situation," said the scoundrel. "Wake up soon, we need you."

----------

My vision was blurry as a sat up. I grimaced at my sluggish body, removing the various sensors that were attached to my arms and head. I was drowsy and groggy.

The chrono on the wall glared down at me, suggesting to me that everyone would be asleep. It was late during the Advent Folly's nightcycle. That was fine for me, I had a lot on my mind and didn't feel up to actual conversation; an ocean of blue swallowing the ship.

Barefoot and bare-chested, I walked through the corridors of the main deck, headed towards the cockpit. In it I saw the scoundrel dozing in the pilot's seat. Through the sensor window I could see the lights and swirls of hyperspace.

----------

The scoundrel was a crafty fellow; he knew how to get himself into messed, and knew how to get himself back out of them.

The scoundrel held no allegiances to any faction, but he was loyal to those he calls friends.

The scoundrel had no known family. His life had been a constant struggle, and he had a toughness that could be depended on.

----------

The warrior had slumped over, face planted on the cold steel of the workbench. As I studied the scene through eyes that were steadily focusing, I noticed that he had a plethora of weapons strewn across the bench. It seemed that he was cleaning them, fixing them, making them better. A warrior lived by the sword and died by the sword. His weapons were as much a part of him as an arm or leg.

The warrior was a creature obsessed with honor. Nothing was more important to him, no matter what the odds.

The warrior was fierce, a nearly constant anger stirring him. He snarled, he shouted, he fought. However, through and through, there was a noble spirit at his core.

----------

The doctor was asleep on one of the bunks what used to be a crew room. A bag of odds and ends sat on a near by table.

The doctor had medical knowledge from a thousand worlds. His method were unorthodox and many times, largely unheard of. They were also very effective.

The doctor carried with him a quiet air of confidence, as if he knew something that the rest of us were not aware of. Always calm, always centered, always alert.

----------

The angel lay in the bed in the quarters that were granted to her. The sight of her delighted me and scared me at the same time.

The angel's first appearance shown rays of light in what was a very dark place, in which dust motes of broken dreams, shattered realities, and broken pieces of myself could be seen. Perhaps, even put back together.

Slowly, steadily the dark place began to be not so dark. Slowly and steadily, I found that the things that I feared in the dark were not so scary. Why?

The angel.

Had I watched the angel sleep for minutes? Hours? Time seemed irrelevant at this point. All I could do was stand and watch, hoping that the she did not leave my life as suddenly as she had come into it.

----------

What is perception? Is it defined strictly by what we see, think, or feel?

What if one person though I was nice? What if another thought I was a monster? Am I confined to these perceptions? Am I a cumulative of these things? Or am I something else entirely?

What does perception mean to us? Our perception of reality can make or break it.

What was my perception?

Here with me I had an angel, a scoundrel, a doctor, a warrior. What was I?

Was I a bounty hunter? A marksman? A pilot? Was I a friend, an ally? An enemy, an adversary?

Why are titles so important?

I am Rango.

What are you?


	16. Chapter 16: Neelaah's Journal 8

Neelaah's Journal: Entry 8

Nal Hutta. Huttese for "glorious jewel." Nar Shaddaa, also known as the Smuggler's Moon, was a virtual repository for every sort of criminal this side of the galaxy. I knew this as Aovih and Neloi steered the Advent Folly into the busy spaceport and gained clearance for landing.

Rango'tan was doing a little better than the last time I checked on him, but hadn't fully recovered. Okodro Mevi was working all kinds of spells and tonics on him to increase his health, but none of them seemed to stick for long.

Over the computer, Aovih was able to punch in some information (despite his overlarge claws and the impedance he met with only human-sized levers to work) and find out that we had a bounty on our head the size of Tatooine. If there was ever a time we needed to stick close together, it was now; Rango'tan himself would have said for us to be cautious, chiefly in the Smuggler's Moon.

While Neloi guarded the controls, and Aovih set about finding us some kind of disguise to wear while in the city, I went back into the dimly lit room to check on Rango. He was reeling in and out of consciousness, but he seemed to know who I was from the look on his face. Recognition sparked in his eyes. That was good enough for me.

I left the room to allow him some time to rest. Okodro followed me out, watching Aovih fish through some old crates of hideous getups that Rango'tan had no doubt been using in his short career as a bounty hunter. I picked up a purple-colored wig and wondered amusingly what Rango had been up to.

"First thing we need to stock up on is provisions," Neloi said. He was the one to be giving the commands and calling all the shots now, since he was by right, Rango's second-in-command. The role suited him well, and he asserted his position with ease.

"I'll volunteer Aovih to go scrounge around for some," Okodro joked at the grumbling lizard.

"In the meantime, I'm going to go look for some parts to repair the ship. She's not been running too good after that little scuffle with Fett in the docking bay," Neloi was explaining.

I rubbed my chin, thinking. Through the viewport, I saw the hustle and bustle of everyday traffic moving along. It wasn't as crowded as Coruscant, or nearly as built up, but we still had to watch where we stepped here.

"I'll go with Aovih," I said.

"Good. Okodro, you stay here with the ship and make sure Rango is okay," Neloi told him. Okodro nodded and went to assume his position, wedged between the door and the room where Rango was.

Aovih and I opened the door and stepped out into the dusky sunlight, being jostled around by a few grubby aliens. I took his arm, a little afraid of letting go.

"Stick close to me," said Aovih, "never know who you might run into here..."

We padded our way down the main street through rows of filthy businesses, past the blaring chorus of music coming from a nearby cantina, and into a short alleyway. I was vaguely aware we were being followed, catching a form out of the corner of my eye.

"Don't run," Aovih said levelly, "pretend like you don't notice."

He was putting up a far better show of being ignorant than I was. I felt my heart racing as we rounded another corner, bumping into a miserly old vendor who was busy peddling his wares.

"Hey!" screamed the irate Toydarian, "watch where you're going! You guys are gonna ruin my business!"

"Sorry," I apologized, though I got later jabbed in the ribs for doing it. Aovih looked at me with something of disapproval.

We continued walking, setting our pace a little brisker when we noticed he was nearly upon us.

"Quick, into here," Aovih said, and pulled me aside into a small vendor's enclave. We watched as he passed, losing track of us, and collectively let out the breath we had been holding.

"If you're not gonna buy something, then leave!" huffed a little red alien with four eyes. It was clear we were unwelcome and didn't fit in in this city, but I tried to toughen myself up with the thought that I was a bounty hunter, and it wasn't anything I couldn't handle.

Aovih shoved me outside with a big claw, then down the lane of the food market. There were long lines of people - both humans and aliens alike - with different bartering commodities. Here and there they were trading this for that.

I tugged on Aovih's dark black and purple ceremonial vest, pointing over to where the trade was going on.

"Did we bring any credits? If there's food to be found, it's gonna be here."

Aovih cursed.

"That's the one thing I forgot."

"It's okay."

I slid off a small ornamental bangle I had been wearing, slapping it into his palm.

"Here, use this. Maybe it'll help."

"Thanks," he said, and clasped his claws about it.

While Aovih was busy bartering for goods, I noticed our watcher had slithered up and was busy talking with some of the vendors. He hissed in a voice that could have only been Trandoshan.

"I'll be at the palace - tonight. Fett's got me rigged. Getting information. I couldn't get close enough to hear what they were saying, though..."

Blast, I thought. So Fett was here, probably tracking us down for the pleasure of it. I could only imagine what kind of a bounty Klathuka now put out on us.

I looked away, trying to act as inconspicuous as possible while Aovih finished buying our goods. We walked as calm as possible back to where the ship was docked, then closed and sealed the door once we were inside.

"Well?" Okodro came to greet us.

"Got the goods," Aovih said, and let the provisions tumble out from his vest to the table.

"I'm starving!" I said.

"No," Aovih hissed, swiping a hand over the food, "we eat later. Where's Neloi?"

"He hasn't come back yet. It's been a long time since I've seen him," Okodro said.

I dragged Aovih aside once Okodro decided to go back and give Rango a check-up. From the frenzied sounds in the other room, I could gather that he was awake already.

"That guy following us..." I whispered to Aovih. "I overheard what he was saying while you were making your purchases."

"Yeah?"

"He's going to be at the palace tonight. Fett's put him up to this. He's tracking us for some reason. I say we meet him on his own terms - go to the palace and surprise him."

"Are you crazy?" Aovih chortled with glee. "For a human, you've got a lot of guts."

"I just want information. Nothing can go wrong if we're prepared," I stressed.

"I still say you're crazy," Aovih replied, "all humans are."

I graced him with a smile.

"Good, you're in then?"

"I'm in. I prefer a straight-on fight to all this sneaking around."

Okodro emerged from the doorway, balancing Rango's weight on his shoulder, helping him to stand and walk over to us. He smiled as he saw me and sat down near to me, while Okodro went to fetch him some water and nutrients. He had been taking them intravenously, but now he could drink enough on his own for it not to be a problem.

"Store the food, we're going to the palace tonight," I informed them all. Okodro and Rango just stared at me with twin expressions of mute horror.

"Surely you're joking?"

"I'm not joking," I replied, "an agent of Boba Fett's is going to be there tonight and we're going to find out what he's put him up to. Find something to dress yourself in and accompany me. I'm going to need an escort."

"Neelaah, I think all this flying about has really gone to your brain," Rango said with a wink.

"Why Rango, I never knew you to be one to back down from a fight!" I mused. My words hit their intended mark; Rango stiffened a little and his eyes darkened over.

"Who says I'm backing down?"

I scrounged around in the back for more material to make a dress. Rango'tan had a various array of clothes and costumes, and I was able to find a very pleasing pattern in the color red. I sat down and began to sew as Rango entered the room, favoring his right leg.

He stopped in the doorway and stared at me.

"Feeling okay?" I asked, not looking up from my sewing.

"Hurts a little," he grunted, "but I'll be all right."

"You've taken quite a nasty beating back there," I noted, "it's amazing you're even alive."

"Well, you've given me plenty of incentive," Rango replied. That was enough to make me blush, and I didn't blush easily.

"I just don't know if I'm ready again to meet Fett," Rango added. I noticed how he was walking, and reconsidered my plan.

"On second thought, why don't you stay here? I'll have Aovih and Neloi go with me for cover. I'd rather you be safe than sorry."

He held out a hand but I just grasped it, pulling it over my heart.

"Rango, don't fight me on this. I'm worried about you."

He thought for a long minute, then nodded his head.

"All right, but if anything happens to you..."

"It won't. I'll be fine. With Aovih and Neloi to protect me, what could possibly go wrong?"

"Right," he snorted.

The palace gates were closed to only those with invitations. While Neloi had been out, we sent him a transmission to look for one that would grant us access into the heart of the party. How and where he did it, we still don't know, but I was a little afraid to ask.

We walked up the steps in unison, me in the middle, flanked on either side by a pristinely dressed man in a powdered wig. One was Neloi and the other was Aovih. We were posing as royalty to gain access, and I sure hoped the ploy would work in duping the guards.

The guards barred our entry almost immediately. I raised a hand imperiously to them, assuming the fake name and identity of Lady I'Lie Duchavon. I was dressed in a scarlet red gown which I had hastily embroidered with little gemstones on the corner folds, and done my hair up in elegant curls, like a noble lady would wear her hair. Rango'tan had even complimented me on how I looked just before leaving the Advent Folly.

Beside me, Aovih was itching to get out of his costume.

"If this damn wig gets in my face one more time-"

"Be quiet you fool!" Neloi chastised him. I shot them both a glare as the guards stopped us on the threshold and asked our names.

Aovih bowed humbly and extended an arm toward me.

"This is the Lady I'Lie Duchavon, mistress of the province of Mormosa."

"I don't know of any Mormosa," sniffed the one guard.

"Of course you wouldn't," Neloi broke in, silencing whatever Aovih was about to say. "It's very small, out-of-the-way. Her family has been ruling there for simply light years!"

Neloi flapped his hand in a flamboyant motion that sent eyebrows raising. He was playing his part a little too well.

"Never mind that. Do you have an invitation?" the other guard asked. I produced it from the folds of my gown; it was amazing I could fit anything else into the dress, with the way it was laced so tight up I could scarcely breathe.

"Here it is."

They read the invitation and nodded their assent; thank the Maker it had been an impersonal note, and not one addressed to somebody else, otherwise there might have been a royal scuffle resulting in wigs flying and dresses splitting.

We entered the room in stride and scattered about to find our watcher. I went over to the table and began picking at some of the finger foods; there was fried Jawa, Kashykkian cookies, Tusken Raider taters, and a host of other delicacies to please the salivary glands. I thumbed absently at a tater, my first food since the last time we'd landed on Dantooine.

The shoes I was wearing were killing me, and I shifted positions to go easy on my feet. If only I had brought my other shoes...well...I dismissed the thought now.

Aovih was stalking around the room without grace; he might have even looked conspicuous among the throng of partygoers who were dancing across the ballroom without a care in the world. Neloi, on the other hand, was doing his best job of blending by playing a hand of sabacc with some well-to-do royal men. How odd, I thought.

I continued picking at the platter of food, my sights setting on a hooded figure that stalked through the darkness. I abandoned the food, picking up the folds of my gown to follow the figure around the room. I pushed my way through the mingling people, perhaps disturbing a conversation or two here or there - but I didn't care. I had my sights set on the figure looming closer toward me. The figure had drawn me away from the crowd, into a dark offshoot of the ballroom, which was still ringing with music and laughter.

I was about to reach forward to tap him on the shoulder, when a cold, flat voice stopped me.

"You look nice."

I turned around straight into the t-shaped visor, which glared menacingly at me. All the memories it incited were rather unpleasant, and I rather wished to forget them. But how could I forget, when he was right in front of me?

"Good work," he commended the man, dismissing him, "you can go."

I watched him slap a few credits into the man's hand. How stupid I had been, in playing directly into his hands! I feared to be left alone with this barve; now I had gotten myself into hot water, without Rango to save my skin.

Fett didn't draw out his blasters, or even try to frighten me in any way, which I found odd. Maybe he was just waiting for his big moment, which would come later.

"Lady I'Lie," he addressed me with an informal nod of the head, "you can take off the transmitter you're wired with."

How did he know that? I wondered, bitterly reaching into the folds of my dress to snap off the small receiver.

"If you're here to bring me to Klathuka again, I want you to know I'm not going without a fight," I told him, recalling to mind the very same words Rango'tan had once spat at him.

Fett didn't seem amused, or if he did, he certainly didn't show it.

"This has nothing to do with Klathuka. It's a more...personal job. You remember the name Nieb'lechal?"

The word cut through me like steel cutting glass. There was a name I'd never though I'd hear again.

"Yes."

Of course I had.

"He has a bounty out on Rogocli the Dosh. My current intelligence reports that he'd hiding out someplace on Dathomir. But before I go find him, I need you to give me something."

"And what, pray tell, would that be, Boba Fett?"

I raised an eyebrow, waiting - even hoping - for him to draw a blaster rather than to have to endure another moment of tortured silence from him.

"You have it, don't you?"

"Have what?" I questioned him. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play games with me, Lady I'Lie, I'm in no mood to humor you."

I fanned myself to keep the cool, watching and hoping for some of the other partygoers to have seen this interchange, and flutter over to break it up. I wondered where Aovih and Neloi were when I needed them and cursed them for stranding me here.

"You know exactly what I mean. Give me the data files."

Before leaving Fett's ship, I had stored the noted files in my pocket, to delve through later on the Advent Folly. I'd never gotten around to it, though. I carried them with me now, but I wasn't going to hand them over that easy.

"I don't think I will."

"Then, lady I'Lie, I'm afraid I'll have to kill you."

I heard the slow, methodical click of the gun being primed for a firing. I tried to retain as much dignity as I could, holding my neck high to accentuate the delicate tousled curls of my pinned-up hair.

"I don't have the files. I had them registered in a safe on Dantooine."

"What's the code?" His thumb balanced on the trigger. I was just buying myself time.

"I...don't...remember," I faltered.

"You try my patience," Fett hissed.

A bolt to the head would jar my memory for sure, and put me out cold...forever. Fett held the blaster sheathed from view, but I knew it was there, pointed at my heart.

"Kill me now, but that won't resolve the issue of where to find the files, or the code."

Fett lowered the blaster, recognizing the truth of my words. He must have been angry with me, but he certainly didn't show it.

"I'm sure a trip to Dantooine would do you well, and help restore your memory to you."

"It wouldn't be the first time," I quipped, referencing the time I had spent, an amnesiac, in his and Dengar's presence.

I obliged him by walking out in front of him, leading the way through a side exit of the grand palace to the docking bay where Slave I was docked. It was in a deserted hangar, which echoed with the sound of power tools being activated, other ships no doubt having been worked on.

Fett ushered me into the ship and sealed the door for departure. He took me by the arm and shoved me into the unoccupied co-pilot's seat. I felt out of place, like a noble lady in the middle of a seedy cantina.

Fett's hands worked the dials, punching in the coordinates to Dantooine. I stared endlessly out of the viewport, wondering where Aovih and Neloi were, and if Rango even knew I was departing from Nar Shaddaa.


	17. Chapter 17: Aovih, A Lizard's Story

Aovih: A Lizard's Story

A Lizard's Story

My Name is Aovih Eenic. I do not know much of my past, or where I came from. All I know is that I was born into a Dosh family that was running away from the Corsec police. I'm not sure of their whereabouts or whatever happened to them, but I do know this: on one clear night, I was left at the doorstep of an old Human hermit, named Xenorin. He gave me my name, took me in and raised me as his own son. Xenorin taught me many things I would have never learned. I was a Trandoshan, and he realized later on that I had special needs and sent me away at the age of 15 to a "boot" camp for Doshians. There I would learn the hunting and fighting skills of Doshian tradition. In the harsh deserts of Tatooine, I learned to discipline myself, battling large beasts with only the claws that were naturally given to me. The recruits were all given an instructor; he was harsh with us, but taught us much.

As a final test, I had to make a journey on foot across the desert with my fellow Trandoshans. I was to take them to Anchorhead with no rations, and little water. There we would wait to be given our ceremonial knives, but I had tests yet to come. With no money and no way of transportation, we became stranded in Anchorhead. Our master never came. In my time in Anchorhead I learned much of the Civil War that tore the land into a schism. There I formed a deep-seeded hatred and malice toward the rebels. One day a group of rebel officers came to the cantina where they harassed and taunted my companions and me. I grew agitated, and my young temper was short. I lost an arm to the rebel scum but not before I took the lives of three rebel officers. Frightened my fellow Doshians and I fled into the desert to hide from the rebels who we had killed in self-defense. In the desert we again had little water and no food. Being lost and startled, we ran from the rebels who were pursuing us. We didn't let ourselves forget our Master's training though; we put what we had learned to good use. This was far worse than the test that we had been given, which now seemed minor. In our time in the desert, I spent it with two of my best Trando friends; Betak, and Rinkon. Betack was two years older than I. He was short for a Trando, he had broad shoulders, and the horns encrusted upon the top of his head were tall. At night, we'd set up camp, and he'd tell us of his memories of our homeworld Dosh. It was an arid place, a lot like Lok or Tatooine. That's why we could survive for so long in such harsh conditions.

"The desert is in our blood," he'd often remind us.

Rinkon was the same age as me, but he was unusual for a Trandoshan. So was I, a Trando being raised by a human was never considered normal. He loved books, music and other arts. His parents sent him to camp to try and make him more like a normal Trando, but that rarely ever worked. He was always spewing out random facts from past books he had read as we walked through the harsh Tatooine desert. My time in the desert was always very valuable. For weeks we climbed rocks, trekked over sand, and hid from Tusken Raiders. The further north we traveled in our pursuit of Bestine, the worse it got. In our time at camp we had heard that Bestine had been overtaken by the Imperials. Surely there, we figured, we could find refuge from the rebels who were chasing us. One day while walking through the desert, Rinkon collapsed, exhausted. Betack and I weren't much further from collapsing ourselves. The Doshian body is strong, but like all living things, it can only last for a certain length of time without the proper food and nutrition. Betack and I both tried carrying him, but our bodies were frail from the harsh journey. I soon collapsed. Lying hopelessly in the heat of the Tatooine suns, a stroke of luck was granted to us.

A squadron of Imperial troopers was making their daily route. We were obviously fairly close to Bestine. Seeing the ghostly white helmet looking down on me gave me a sense of hope, but not without fear. I began to pass out as I listened to the stormtroopers exchanging words.

"HEY! I recognize these reptiles," a deep voice said.

"Inform colonel Matron we have his men," a second voice chimed in.

Things went dark. I awoke next in a hospital room, lying on a sterile platform. A cut on my arm had been patched up, and I had tubes in my side, feeding me synthetics. I was in Bestine, and my friends were on medic tables next to me. We spent a restful week in Bestine, recuperating. The Imperial officers had been gracious to us; the Chief Commander of the of the Imperial base at Bestine had seen our pictures on the wanted list on the Rebel uplink, and he had wanted to meet us. We had killed a very important officer to the Rebels, for which he congratulated us. I was greatly impressed with the Empire. Later that day, I told my friends of my wanting to join the Empire, but they had plans of their own. Betack had heard over the news net that our former Instructor at the Trandoshan camp had been murdered in the night by Rebel mercenaries. Our instructor was revealed to be an Imperial radical, leading groups and others against the Rebels. He was going to go back to work as a Bounty Hunter. As for my friend Rinkon, he had found new freedom and went to a University in Theed to study to be a politician of sorts. I parted with my other friends, never to see them again. I was glad to be alive. With my newfound freedom, I enlisted into the Empire. I was new and needed to be taught many things about the Empire, but I felt I owed a debt to the Imperials, and I would also want revenge for the death of my instructor.

I never knew what happened to my adopted father. It had been many years since I had lived at his plantation, and I missed my times there. But now I was an adult of twenty-one years, enlisted, and my services were to the Empire.


	18. Chapter 18: Neloi, A Rogue's Tale

Neloi - A Rogue's Tale

The whisper blue trails of hyperspace feather past the cockpit window. Behind me the ship is silent, save for the uneven hum of the Advent Folly's overworked engines and the ragged breathing of its four sleeping occupants. But even in sleep I can feel their tension.

The two newcomers to our little band of ruffians, the doctor and the warrior, lay restless in their quarters.

The doctor, his healing spells exhausted, sleeps fitfully. His mind doubtless full of unused and half forgotten incantations. He is a good man, care-worn and tired but compassionate; and willing, despite the danger, to join our quest.

The warrior, growls occasionally in his sleep, anticipating, or perhaps reveling in his memories of rending flesh and spilling blood. His rage, like all Trandoshans, bubbles just under the surface; held in check by his steely self-control and his partner's calming influence.

The girl. An enigma wrapped in mysteries and shrouded in obscurities that I'm sure even Rango doesn't suspect. She is not as innocent, nor as helpless as she appears. Her concern for my friend seems genuine, but something about her bothers me. There is much more to her than meets the eyes. I like her, don't get me wrong, but I need to find out more. Maybe when we reach Nal Hutta.

My fingers fly over the data pad's keys. I have to find a way out of this mess. My contacts in Hutt space were numerous and powerful but who, in their right minds, would cross Boba Fett. Besides us of course. I know that both Rango and Neelaah have a history with him, but the details were sparse and I wasn't one to pry. At least not openly. I am a curious man by nature and there are things I need to know.

My thoughts drift to my injured friend. A philosophizing death dealer. One of the kindest and yet deadliest men I have ever met. I'd seen him dispatch Raduah with the silent and deadly efficiency that has always impressed me. But his tenderness towards our latest partner doesn't in the least, surprise me. He always was a sucker for a pretty face and a damsel in distress. But he has this disturbing habit of letting his heart rule his head sometimes. I know the visit to Kar Averalak was probably a mistake, he lost his parents there a long ago. But when he gets an idea in his head I know better than to argue. But his pain makes him vulnerable and I don't know how to protect him.

I need him up and operating at his cool and efficient best. I was used to having him at my back, strong, dependable, untiring….and, have I mentioned, deadly? I'm not exactly sure how to deal with this latest mess, except to be here and deal with hell's downfall when it comes.

There must be someone I can call in…

With a start I realize that one of my passengers is awake. I darken the data pad's screen and droop my head in parody of sleep. Using a trick I've utilized often I slow my heart and breathing. To all but a Jedi, I appear deep in slumber. The shuffling uneven steps tell me it is my friend, awake and wandering in his delirium. I contemplate rising and helping him back to his bunk, but restrain myself. I don't want him seeing the pain in my eyes. He's relying on me now I must stay strong. Also, if I must take charge of this rag tag crew, then I will. But I'm not fool enough to let anyone know my plans. If there's anything I've learned in my many years of playing to lose at Sabacc, it's never, ever reveal your cards until the last second.

He stands there staring at me for several long moments and my reserve almost breaks, I can hear his ragged, fevered breathing. And my heart breaks. "I'm doing this for you", I breathe. "You have to deal with this as best you can, let me deal with everything else." Finally he turns and stumbles back to his quarters, and soon after I hear his breathing even out into a semblance of peaceful slumber.

I reawaken the data pad and continue with my communiqué. After several hours of working and reworking as many angles as I can think of I punch the required info into the ships communication array. As soon as we break from hyperspace all my calls for assistance will be beamed to the necessary recipients, and then destroyed. No evidence. There is nothing more I can do right now. I stand and stretch my aching muscles. I walk to the view port and stare out at the streaming star points. Their blue light plays over my face and I close my eyes to their caress. It's a beautiful night.


	19. Chapter 19: Diary of Rango 9

Diary of Rango - Entry 9

In the time that Neloi, Aovih, and Neelaah were out about their business, I had completely recovered. As I think back on how rough of a condition I was in, it still amazes me how quickly I healed. I remember Okodro having something to say about it.

"You have a remarkably fast regeneration," he commented during one of my check-ups. "Your metabolism also seems to be slightly higher than most humans."

"Why would that be?" I asked him, furrowing my brow.

"You have a strong connection to the Force," Okodro said, stunning me into silence. The Force? The mystical energy field that the now dead Jedi Order had claimed to wield and master?

"Your ability to heal..."

"Yes," Okodro said, and left it at that.

----------

"Fett has her," Neloi said.

Fett has her.

The expression on my face darkened to the point where Neloi and Okodro were literally taken aback. I rose from the small holo table in the lounge and stalked over towards Neloi. He held out his hands, trying to calm me down. Aovih snarled, ready to pounce, but was stopped as Okodro held him back, saying something in a low voice.

"You were supposed to look after her," I said quietly, grabbing the scruff of his jacket and shoving him back against a bulkhead.

"R-Rango. take it easy...l-look, sh-"

"You were supposed to look after her!" I bellowed drops of spittle escaping my mouth, some landing on Neloi's frightened face.

"Rango," Okodro said, placing a strong restraining hand on my shoulder. I simply stared at Neloi.

"Rango," Okodro repeated again, pulling me away from Neloi. I let go of his jacket and allowed this to happen, but even so, my anger was hot and roiling. "We need to come up with a plan," Okodro added as Neloi fixed his clothes.

"Yeah, I agree," Neloi muttered, before falling silent, trying his best to not appear so rattled, but failing at the attempt. I could tell that he was still startled from my outburst.

"Get talkin'," I said, as I sat down in my previous seat, folding my arms across my chest, steely gaze fixated upon him. With a soft sigh and a regretful expression on his face, Neloi began.

"We were trying to blend in with the rest of the crowd; I got myself into a card game and Aovih and Neelaah went to look for some refreshments. Apparently the two got separated," Neloi explained. "Aovih came to me in a fluster, saying that Neelaah had disappeared," he continued, bringing a grunt of affirmation from the lizard.

"Disappeared?"

"...Yeah," said Neloi, cautiously taking a seat across from me. Judging from his tense posture, I could tell that he was trying to keep himself prepared in case there was another "outburst". "We found out soon after that Fett himself showed up at the party. A few eye witnesses said that they saw a brief exchange between Fett and Neelaah."

"Did anyone overhear the context of the conversation?" I asked.

"They say that 'Dantooine' and 'codes'," Aovih was quick to say.

"That's right. I've already put out some feelers to find out where Boba Fett is and to see if anything can be found out about his plans," Neloi added, bracing himself with his arms as he leaned against the table. He was letting down his guard. "The moment that someone matching the description of Neelaah, Fett, or Slave 1 is seen anywhere near Kar Averalak, we'll know. It shouldn't be too long now before we get word."

She was gone again. I could not bear it this time.

About an hour later Neloi received a transmission from one of his contacts. Boba Fett had shown on in Kar Averalak, but there time dirt-side was very brief. We were told that Fett seem dissatisfied about something and that before his ship jumped to lightspeed as it left the Dantooine system, his hyperspace vector was captured and logged by the local space authority. He was headed for the Yavin system.

I vowed then and there that the galaxy was not big enough to keep me from finding them. I would kill anyone and destroy anything that stood in my path. I hated the galaxy and everything in it; my rage was illogical and barely contained. First my parents and now this. Who else would the galaxy try to swallow up?

----------

"Fett has her."

The words still haunt me, are still so fresh and vivid in my mind. Amidst the haze of sleeplessness, at the borders of my anger-ravaged mind, I am still vaguely in touch with reality. My aching stomach reminds me that I require nourishment, but I cannot eat. Bouts of dizziness reminds me of how exhausted I am, but I cannot sleep. I sat hunched over the Advent Folly's communications console, finalizing the plans.

"We will rendezvous in the Spider Nebula sector in Yavinian space," a rough voice said. "From there we will finalize our plans and ready the boys; the Marauders won't stand a chance," the voice added, barking a harsh laugh.

"Understood. I will see you in the better part of 24 hours, captain," I said, cutting the transmission.

"Rango, I'm not so sure about this," Neloi voiced uneasily from the co-pilot's seat. Tensions between Neloi and I still existed, but we had not gotten physical about it. "Patek and his group can be a big loose cannon."

"They'll listen to me," I said, placing my hands on the edge of the computer bank as I rose from my seat. "I have work to do. Call me when we are about to revert to real space," I said before turning and leaving the cockpit.

"Hang in there buddy..." whispered Neloi.

----------

I stood in my workroom, the door sealed behind me with an encryption that even Neloi would be hard-pressed to slice. What I was doing in there was private and I wanted no interruptions.

I removed the panel from a false bulkhead, pressing my right hand against a panel only marginally larger than it. A few lights winked into existence as the panel light up. My handprint was scanned and a small speaker box told me to recite the pass code.

"Head-hunter 0219." I said aloud, tensing for second. If anything went wrong, the resulting explosion would vaporize me.

"Authorization confirmed," the speaker box said. I finally exhaled.

The large crate stored inside of the hidden compartment was very hefty, and it took all of my strength to pull it out and set it on the floor of the small room without jostling it around too much. There were still more security system to get by.

Half an hour later I disabled the last security lock and removed the lid. I half-expected to get the whiff of mildew, but my nostrils only received a sterile scent. I had done a thorough job of story the contents nearly two decades ago. Piece by piece, I removed them from the crate and set them on my workbench: bracers, a chestpiece, armored boots, armored kneepads and shinpads, shoulder plates, and a helmet.

I sat down at the workbench and gazed at these relics, thinking of my father and my first memory of him wearing them. I didn't know much about the origins of these items, but my father did say that he and they were remnants from a now fallen and forgotten civilization. They were of the highest quality and craftsmanship, armor that was deadly when borne by a knowledgeable person. With grim determination I set about cleaning and repairing each piece. I had just enough time.

----------

"Hey Rango, we're almost there," said Neloi, his voice slightly distorted by the com system. Impeccable timing, I thought as I sealed the collar of my flightsuit to the helmet now masking my features. I secured my twin DE-10 pistols harnesses present on each of my thighs and secured the jetpack that Neloi had somehow acquired to my back, and for reasons that I could not quite explained, I secured the lightsaber I had acquired from my last bounty to my belt. Hefting my sawed-off EE3 carbine, I deactivated the security protocols on the room's door and headed towards the cockpit.

The soles of my booted-feat made quiet thunder as I stalked down one of the corridors of the Advent Folly with a purpose and determination borne out of a driving and consuming anger. It burned within me, searing my resolve, and tainting my every thought. As I neared the cockpit, I remembered the exchange I had with Okodro before I sealed myself in the workroom.

"Rango," Okodro said in a gentle, yet firm voice. "The anger that burns inside of you, even I can feel it. Don't let it consume you, Rango, or through it you will lose everything that you have gained."

'W-what!" Neloi exclaimed, tearing my out of my quiet reverie as he jumped from the pilot's seat in the cockpit, drawing his blaster. My carbine was on him from the moment he moved.

"Drop the blaster, Neloi, it's me," I said, my voice mechanical-sounding through the helmet's com system. Neloi could only stare incredulously at me, which I found mildly amusing.

The sight of a person wearing full Mandalorian battle armor was a rare one indeed.

----------

A KDY lancer-class star frigate came into view as the Advent Folly reverted into real space. It loomed over the gas giants of the Yavin system, it's bright red paint job glaring at us with stark intensity. Within moments Captain Patek of the Vanguard mercenary group hailed us and we negotiated the docking procedure. When the Red Tyrant's umbilical was extended and docked securely with the Advent Folly's airlock, Neloi, Okodro, Aovih, and myself piled into the Red Tyrant.

Captain Patek and his second in command, Rumah Velrohn, were at the other end of the umbilical to greet us. Captain Patek was of medium height and had a strong, stocky build while Rumah was relatively short and had a compact frame. Both mean had their hair buzzed short.

"Interesting choice of attire, there, Rango," Captain Patek said in greeting, extending a meaty hand which I took in a gloved hand of my own, giving it a firm shake. "It's been too long," he added, his gaze moving to Neloi. "And it certainly has been a long time since we've crossed paths, you old scoundrel," the Captain said with a wink.

"Always a pleasure," Neloi said with an ironic smile.

"Nice to see you again, Patek. These two are Aovih and Okodro," I said, gesturing to the doctor and the lizard. "Aovih is a good shot and Okodro is a doctor. I was thinking of sticking them with the support group and Neloi in the forward group," I continued, letting go of Patek's hand.

"Captain, that may not-"

"Now, now, Lieutenant," the Captain interrupted. "Rango knows what he is talking about. Go ahead and get Okodro and Aovih suited up."

"Yes, sir," the Lieutenant said, eyeing Aovih uneasily before leading the lizard and the doctor down the corridor.

"Let's go over the battle plan," I said.

----------

On Yavin IV there was a pirate base of significant strategic importance. This base was currently occupied by and run by the Marauder pirate organization. For nearly two years now, Vanguard and a few other groups have all been in competition to claim this compound, as it is the first of several outposts leading into the Yavin and surrounding systems.

Captain Patek as currently in command of Nova Squadron, a specialized tactical unit specializing in penetrating strongholds and establishing control within them. The Captain and his troops were not unfamiliar to me. I'm not at liberty to discuss the details of our missions, but I did serve and command the squadron on several campaigns.

As our sources informed us, Boba Fett has taken Neelaah to this compound and had struck a deal with the pirate leader. The exact details of the deal are unknown to us, but Neelaah was to be kept captive, quiet, and in good condition. Obviously Fett had plans for her, but either could not risk bringing her with him on whatever business he was currently occupied, or just needed her to be kept quiet for the time being.

I contacted Captain Patek after finding all of this out, striking a deal with them. In exchange for helping them infiltrate and secure the compound, Captain Patek would divert five mean under my command to rescue Neelaah.

Excluding myself, the Captain, the Lieutenant, Aovih, Okodro, and Neloi, there were 20 troops in Nova Squadron. The troops were split into four groups of five, each with their own objections. The ballistics group were to punch a hole in the perimeter defenses of the compound and give the forward and rescue groups inside. At the same time, an explosive device that would be setup on the other side of the compound would go off, creating a distraction. This would should cut the initial enemy encounters down by half.

The forward and rescue group would then enter the compound and secure it room by room, corridor by corridor. Any and all necessary force would be taken; there would be no hostages.

The fourth and final group would come in last and act as a support group, both offensively and defensively. They would be responsible for lending a hand where needed and treating the wounded.

Captain Patek and the Lieutenant would be staying behind in the shuttle to coordinate our movements.

The troops of Nova Squadron too donned attire from a former era. All of them wore armor that was used by the clone troopers in the clone wars. Some of these suits were dinged up pretty bad, but all were functioning at peek performance. All four groups piled into a shuttle and we headed down to the surface of Yavin IV.

----------

"Rescue group, on me," I said on my group's tactical frequency, charging through the underbrush of the forest exactly five minutes after the ballistics group had left. By the time we reached the compound, we should be on our way inside.

"General, I'm picking up at least a dozen signals bearing in on us from the north east," the second in command of the rescue group, Greghth, said. "They seem to be trying to pin us between them and the compound defenses."

"Track and log their movements, major, and stream the data back to Captain Patek. He may have to send out the support early," I said, senses alert as we neared the compound.

"Understood, general."

----------

When my group reached the north west wall of the compound, we could see the large hole blown in the side of it lit with blaster fire. The ballistics group was pinned down behind a slogged AT-ST by a group emerging from the hole.

"Men, head to the wall and hug close to it. When the marauders are force out, catch them in a cross fire," I said, motioning for the group to move to my right. "Grenadiers, through two concussion grenades on my mark to force Marauders out of the hole and into the open," I said on the open frequency.

"You've got a plan, General?" Captain Patek asked.

"You bet."

Before shuttling down I slaved my jetpack's circuitry to my suit's computer, setting it to voice activation. Being air-borne can have its advantages.

I activated the jetpack shooting up into the air, raising my EE3 carbine, picking off two sentries on the wall.

"Grenadiers, now." Within moments the Marauders were running out of the hole into open to escape the blast of the concussion grenades. "Suppression fire, now."

Caught between the ballistics group, the rescue group, and my aerial assault, the group of Marauders didn't last long. Once I was back on my feat, we headed in.

"Captain Patek, I suggest sending in the support group now. The Marauder group that was following us to the compound will be here any minute and the ballistics team could use help.

"Sound plan, General," Captain Patek said. "Support group, you are clear to go. Forward and rescue groups, you are clear to acquire your objectives."

----------

My group led and outright slaughter of pirates. My men were good, and they certainly knew what they were doing. With every kill I pushed my anger into it. Even this far into the operation, even this close to obtaining our objectives, my anger still simmered just below the surface. At this time, my only outlet was killing, and I was very good at doing that.

We reached the prisoner cellblock and the group split up to secure the area. Gregth went over to the computer and accesses the prisoner list

"Cell 20-A," he informed me, waving down the hall. I nodded to him and we proceeded down the hall. We were about to slice the door terminal when we heard a commotion going on inside.

"C'mere sweetheart," a muffled male voice could be heard.

"Get away from me you slug!" Neelaah screamed.

I set my jaw. No one was going to harm her. I motioned for Gregth to move aside and I unhooked the lightsaber I had with me from my belt. An eerie green light illuminated the hall as I activated the lightsaber. I lunged forward and pushed the blade through the door and began carving my way into the cell.

"Sith spawn!" the male roared. "What in the hells of Barabel is that?"

I kicked down the section of the door that I had cut out and burst into the room. I shoved the rough-looking man into the wall and impaled his through the abdomen with the lightsaber.

"Nooo..." he said as he exhaled, his face contorted into a mask of pain.

"Yesss..." I whispered to him just before I slugged him in the side of the head with my left hand. I pulled out a DE-10 and shot him dead. "That is for even thinking of putting your hands on her."

When I turned to face Neelaah, I found her pressing herself into the opposite corner of the cell with an expression of fear mixed with uncertainty. She stared into the T-shaped visor of my helmet with wild eyes, almost preparing herself if she had to fight.

I reached up and unfastened the collar of my fligthsuit from my helmet. I single-handedly removed my helmet, bringing a shocked gasp from Neelaah.

"Don't you ever get yourself into a mess like this again," I said angrily.


	20. Chapter 20: Neelaah's Journal 9

Neelaah's Journal: Entry 9

"Don't you speak to me like that again!" I cried, raising my voice to match the strength in Rango's. He shoved the butt of a blaster in my stomach for emphasis.

"I would suggest you lower your voice, Neelaah," he said dangerously. "You're already in hot water."

He cast aside the t-shaped visor that I had mistakenly took as Fett's helmet.

"Are you threatening me?" I gaped. I could scarcely believe what I was hearing. Was this the very same Rango who had been so solicitous and caring to me up until now? My stomach churned at the thought. How could I have allowed myself to trust him, only to have him turn on me like this?

In the meantime, Neloi had bustled into the room and was busy trying to mediate. He held a hand on Rango's shoulder. Rango merely shrugged it off, unamused.

"Don't touch me," he whispered. His eyes flashed furiously, telling me to think the better of what I was going to say next.

"Rango--" I barely spit out two words together before he interrupted me again.

"You could have been killed!" he spat, scarcely aware of the volume of his voice. "Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

In the commotion, Captain Patek and some of the Nova Squadron had filtered into the room to witness the fighting. Neloi, ever wise, took us both by the shoulder and led us away from the group to talk it over ourselves. He was smart, not letting others become involved in our own personal business.

"I don't need you to save me!" I growled as Neloi finally left us to our own devices. Rango'tan paced the room erratically, trying to dispel some of the anger he was carrying. I backed into the corner of the wall, not wanting to touch him. Nothing frightened me more than the sight of him stalking around, looking as though he were about to strike me at any second.

"And you were doing such a good job at it yourself! Ha!" His tone was one of mild amusement, but I knew he was anything but amused right now. I heard voices opposite the wall, obviously some of the soldiers and our friends having a quarrel. Captain Patek adamantly stated that we needed to leave the bunker now, saying there would be more of them returning, and in force. I ignored it and continued.

"What makes you think I want any of your help?" My mood was black, mirroring Rango's. "You haven't done a damn thing for me, Tan."

"Oh, I see!" He sneered, pressing both palms down on a crude worktable. "So somehow this is all my fault. Ha! That's rich!"

"Grow up. "

"You have some nerve," Rango scoffed, "to affront me like that, Lady I'Lie."

"You are mocking me. Don't call me that." My face contorted into a mixture of confusion and anger. "You disgust me. Everything about you disgusts me. I don't need you or your sorry excuse for a band of friends. You are worthless."

I was about to leave when he grabbed my arm, hard, and spun me around to face him.

"I'm not finished with you yet."

"Get your hands off me!" I snapped my arm away, then, thinking it the proper thing to do, I slapped his face. I was sorry the moment I had done it. Rango'tan turned his face away, wounded, pressing a hand to the sweltering in his cheekbone where the blow was still stinging.

"I...I'm sorry," I stuttered. None of that seemed to take away the pain of what I just did.

A sharp, quick knock sounded on the door, drawing me from the momentary reverie.

"We have to go," I said, and turned my eyes toward the ground. Neloi burst into the door, ushering us out with the rest of the squadron. The compound was silent for a few moments more, before laserfire began pelting it. We stalked away through the woods, watching an orange explosion sift through the air, smelling the smoke and breathing it deep into our lungs. I walked behind Rango'tan, and Aovih covered me, armed with a large blaster rifle.

"It's this way to the ship," Okodro said, and pointed. Just on the horizon, the Advent Folly was docked, emerging like a god from the mists. It was a welcome sign as we trudged, half-weary through the mud, gaining ground slower than we expected.

When we were inside and the doors were all sealed, Neloi sent out a signal to Captain Patek and the Nova Squadron. We were to rendezvous at some point later on, but for now, we would be blasting off into space alone. The ship rocked unsettlingly back and forth as we took off into space.

Rango'tan had sealed himself inside a room he kept as his workspace. I knocked sharply on the door, but was met only by silence. A few more moments of tapping was enough to grate on my nerve.

"All right, I'm coming in!" I bellowed loud enough to echo through the entirety of the ship. Aovih and Neloi had taken the lead at the controls, and Okodro was with them, leaving me and Rango to have a moment to talk alone.

I opened the door and found Rango'tan hunched over in a metallic chair in the corner of the room, looking despondent. He was applying a small bacta patch to his cheekbone when I entered. He quickly stopped what he was doing and put away the materials; probably to mask his embarrassment.

"It's okay. I know it hurts," I said smartly. "Keep doing what you're doing."

He studied me tacitly, then obeyed the command in my voice. He winced a little at the stinging pain, when I went over to sit beside him and see to the task of mending the small wound. I rubbed his cheek gently, determined not to hurt him. Things had happened so fast, I didn't have enough time to properly think them over. Now it was hitting me.

"I'm sorry. I mean...I didn't mean to."

He pushed my hand away, but didn't look at me.

"Doesn't matter."

"No, listen to me." With both hands I turned his face toward me and spoke to the anger in his expression. "I apologize. I was out of line, and I deserved everything you said."

His fingers skimmed the length of my face a little before Okodro burst into the room with a medpac.

"You okay, Rango?" he asked.

Rango nodded weakly, then waved his fingers at him to dismiss him.

"I'll be fine. Leave us."

The door closed, leaving us in stale silence.

"I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just, I--" Rango's voice trailed off thoughtfully. "If you knew all the things...my mother and father...then you'd--"

"Say no more. I understand."

My finger touched his lip and I saw his eyes widen a little in surprise.

"Rango, I love you."

He seemed inordinately pleased with my declaration, and quickly returned it with a kiss. The ship rocked back and forth a little, so that we both clambered to keep hold of the nearest thing that was bolted to the floor.

"Now what?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Where do we go from here?"

"I guess we just...take it one day at a time," I said with a smile. Sage advice. Where would we go from here? What was a life of being tracked and pursued across half the galaxy? It was no way to live, or to die, but somehow, knowing that Rango was with me, made it all the more better.

"Don't you ever leave me again!" he said, suddenly brusque now. His eyes were wild and untamed, but I knew just what he was talking about.

I threw him to the ground and straddled him beneath me.

"So I guess this means all's forgiven?" Rango replied sheepishly.


End file.
